VW Boss Sees No Future for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars
While Japanese and Korean automakers such as Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda are investing into hydrogen fuel cell-equipped vehicles, German automaker Volkswagen believes they have failed to live up to promises and aren’t cost-efficient to produce.
Though Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn did state that the automaker will continue to study hydrogen-fuelled vehicles, the CEO recently commented that Europe’s largest automaker is unlikely to join its competitors in producing those vehicles.
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Winterkorn expects plug-in hybrids and natural gas engines to prevail over the next decade as alternatives to standard gasoline and diesel powerplants.
“I do not see the infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles, and I do not see how hydrogen can be produced on large scale at reasonable cost,” said Winterkorn during a press conference at the automaker’s headquarters. “I do not currently see a situation where we can offer fuel cell vehicles at a reasonable cost that consumers would also be willing to pay.”
Volkswagen’s stance is in sharp contrast to global rival Toyota, which has made a commitment to Hydrogen Fuel Cell cars, and has even gone so far as to announce it will begin public sale of such a vehicle in 2015. At last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota revealed a Prius-like concept called the FCV-R, hinting at just how important it believes hydrogen fuel cells will be.
[Source: Automotive News]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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