GM pushes the pedal on hydrogen fuel-cell power

0 Comments | USA TODAY, November, 2007 | by James R. Healey

General Motors says it hopes to begin pumping hundreds of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles a year into ordinary buyers' hands through GM dealerships beginning in 2011.

Though small numbers by auto-industry standards, it's the most ambitious public plan yet to bring pollution-free fuel-cell vehicles into the mainstream.

Perhaps more important, GM is "working as hard and fast as we can for competitive reasons," rather than as pure research on a promising technology, says Larry Burns, GM vice president in charge of research and development.

"I'm paranoid enough to conclude (rivals) are running on the same timeline we are," he says, citing fuel-cell research at Mercedes-Benz, Honda and others.

In other words, a race is on, and that always speeds...