Dave
However, that's not happening, at least not right away. And the huge drawbacks to any other energy source (usually lower energy density) aren't being offset by lower cost by unit energy. So until the cost of gas-Diesel rises dramatically, whether through market forces or by taxation, we won't see the alternative energy sources on the market.
Heck, Europe has FAR higher at-the-pump costs than we do here (US) but even there there's no significant hydrogen infrastructure. I have heard that LPG conversions are becoming more popular, but I understand that that's due to tax structure, not actual per-unit-energy cost.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see some alternate energy sources developed, but a) gasoline and Diesel are actually really good fuels, in terms of energy density and cost. There's a lot of work to be done to catch up to their utility b) I don't think hydrogen (or alcohol for that matter) is where it's at. If I were a betting man I'd put my money on biodiesel first, then a shift to all-electric vehicles when energy density of electric storage comes down to a reasonable level. Fuel cells are kind of a wild card, but again, I don't think hydrogen is where it's at; they've got to be able to eat easier-to-produce fuels to be practical, otherwise there's too much energy loss.
nate
-- replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
