In a report analyzing Bush's Hydrogen Initiative, the American Physical Society's panel on public affairs concludes that major scientific breakthroughs are needed for the initiative to succeed.
The scientists said major obstacles stand in the way of the President Bush's proposal to offer hydrogen fuel and a hydrogen-fueled cars by 2020.
Columbia University's Peter Eisinger, chairman of the committee, presented the report before the House Science Commmittee on Wednesday. The most promising hydrogen engines are too expensive or do not perform well enough to be be competitive, he said, and hydrogen fuel is now four times more expensive than gasoline to produce.
No existing material for hydrogen fuel tanks lives up to consumer benchmarks. In addition, improving current technology will not be enough to close what the scientists call very large performance gaps.
The panel recommended that Congress be adequately prepared for the possibility the technological hurdles for the initiative will not be met by 2020.