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Fuel Cell Vehicle Basics

August 20, 2013 - 9:11am


Photo of a blue car with 'The Road to Hydrogen' written on it, filling up at a hydrogen fueling station.Fuel cell vehicles, powered by hydrogen, could greatly improve the sustainability of our transportation sector. Although electricity production may contribute to air pollution, they are more efficient than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles and produce no harmful tailpipe exhaust—their only emission is water.

The hydrogen is stored in a gaseous form in the vehicle's fuel tank. The hydrogen powers the fuel cell and creates electricity to power an electric motor.

Fuel cell vehicles and the hydrogen infrastructure to fuel them are in an early stage of deployment. The U.S. Department of Energy is leading government and industry efforts to make hydrogen-powered vehicles an affordable, environmentally friendly, and safe transportation option.

Visit the Alternative Fuels Data Center to learn more about fuel cell vehicles.