Ballard has already developed a hydrogen-powered passenger bus slated for test marketing in Chicago and Vancouver, British Columbia. The fuel cells fit into the space that normally holds the bus' diesel motor. Besides that, Cannon said that since the hydrogen bus has no mechanical parts, such as a transmission, needs no lubricating oils and does not operate at high temperatures, maintenance should be much easier. Of course, hydrogen-powered vehicles will need hydrogen. That is another problem.
Most commercial hydrogen is made as part of the processing of natural gas.
As a fuel it is about 20 percent more expensive than a comparable amount of gasoline. Gaseous hydrogen could be pumped into a vehicle's tank in five minutes using compressors, according to studies. Another problem with hydrogen is that since it is such a simple molecule it can easily leak through cracks and seals. But we use gasoline in our cars and natural gas in our kitchens. The key is to design safe systems to handle the hydrogen.