British hydrogen car unveiled

A car powered by hydrogen that was unveiled earlier this month could spell the end for the conventional motor car, its backers claimed. The UK-built car runs solely on hydrogen and the only waste product it produces is water. It is almost silent and is being heralded as an environmentally sound alternative to petrol-driven vehicles. BOC, a British-based company, which backed the prototype, named the BOC Gh2ost, said the car was "a prototype for all cars of the future." The car runs on hydrogen fuel cells, which were invented in 1839 by Sir William Grove. The process of generating electricity through fuel cells is similar to using a battery, but whereas a battery relies on an internal chemical fuel supply, the fuel cell can be fed continuously by an external energy storage tank. Hydrogen is odourless and tasteless and is one of the most abundant elements in the universe. DP