Thus, automakers are busy ensuring that a methanol refueling infrastructure will be in place to fuel their cars. Fuel cell vehicles are a popular concept with environmentalists because they produce 30 percent less carbon dioxide than conventional vehicles. In a fuel cell, oxygen from the air and hydrogen fuel are combined to produce electricity, water and carbon dioxide.
Methanol is considered by the world's major automakers to be an ideal hydrogen carrier.
The American Methanol Institute, which hosted a conference on fuel cells last week, estimates that by 2010 there will be more than 2 million fuel cell vehicles on the road and could demand more than 880 million gallons of methanol per year. Panik's talk was intended to encourage automakers, fuel cell developers, oil companies, environmental organizations and government officials to cooperate to develop a methanol fuel infrastructure. Government agencies should take this opportunity to promote and support environment-friendly mobility. A study by the environmental engineering firm EA Engineering, Science and Technology Inc. presented at the conference found that refueling stations for dispensing methanol are very similar to today's gasoline stations and the capital costs to implement this new fueling infrastructure are moderate. We know how to build methanol compatible refueling stations and we know the costs are reasonable.