Fuel-Cell 'Gas' Stations

Any discussion of fuel cells should start with the fact that they require hydrogen, which costs energy to produce. This is a bad thing if the energy comes from coal-fired electric plants. The compensating factor is that hydrogen-storage technology is well developed. Serious methods for large amounts of electricity storage still need to be perfected.

In the hydrogen economy (which seems less likley than a few years ago) I envision the future 'gas' station to be equipped with a device to produce hydrogen from natural gas and a tank to store it. The motorist drives up to the station, plugs into the tank, and fills up his car. Thus the much-talked-about distribution system for hydrogen is easily provided.

The 'gas' station has advantages over other future technologies. Ethanol will still have to be delivered by tanker truck, which is expensive. Charging of electric cars en-route will be slow, unless the technology improves.