Tests have proven that only about 13% of each gallon of gas consumed by a vehicle goes to moving it down the road; the rest is wasted on things that are avoided in fuel cell vehicles. The largest amount (62%) of fuel is lost to engine friction, pumping losses and to waste heat. Another 17% is lost when idling in traffic or at stop lights. Fuel cell vehicles eliminate virtually all this waste because the motor has very little friction ("Energy Technology").
Currently there are a few car models that use a gasoline-electric motor. Honda and Toyota Motors are leading the charge in this market. Honda offers two models in the US, the Civic Hybrid and the Insight. Both cars claim to get up to 650 miles per tank of gas (61-68 miles per gallon). They also have batteries that recharge on their own (2003 Honda). Another pro to these economy efficient cars is the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is now offering a $2000 tax deduction to the original buyer of the two Hondas talked about above as well as the Toyota Prius (IRS News Room).
These cars are very economical, but some people see that as a fault. Some trade offs did have to occur to gain efficiency in these cars. The Civic Hybrid lacks high horsepower. This year's model has a max horsepower of 85. This is considerably lower than its sister model, the gas-powered Civic DX which puts out 115 horsepower. The Hybrid model also costs a few thousand more than the gas powered DX model. Hybrids start at $19,995, where the DX model starts at $12,995 (2003 Honda).
The time frame for a mass produced fuel cell powered cars is uncertain at this time, but many people think that when that day comes, transportation will change dramatically. When it comes, the car will no longer be an environmental burden; the amount of pollution put into the atmosphere will dramatically decrease.
Scientists and environmentalists are not the only people that think fuel cell development is important; President Bush launched a $1.
