I'll try summarize some of the important points. Ballard is considered the leader in producing fuel cells, which, in turn, are viewed as the best hope to replace the internal combustion engine for pollution-free driving. One benefit of the fuel cell car engine is that it eliminates the recharge problem of battery power. So cost is a big issue. But General Motors and Ford have both produced studies that conclude that fuel cell engines will compete on price with conventional engines when produced in quantity.
Fuel cells operate by creating electricity produced by the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.
One power source for the fuel cell is methanol, which can be turned into hydrogen aboard the vehicle. Methanol is regarded as a better source of fuel than hydrogen gas itself because methanol can be stored and distributed with only minor modifications to the existing fuel infrastructure system. A hydrogen fuel distribution system would cost billions. Most recently, Nissan Motor Co. announced that it was using a Ballard fuel cell with a methanol source to power a test vehicle in Japan. It hopes to have a fuel-cell powered vehicle ready for mass production and sale between 2003 and 2005.