VEHICLE manufacturers are ploughing millions of pounds into the development of fuel cell technology as an economical zero-emission option for the future. Many have made a commitment to have a fuel cell car on the road within the next five years and this has sparked claims that the fuel cell could ring the death knell for alternative fuels such as LPG and CNG.

David Lang, AA chief executive, and Andrew Eastlake, manager of powertrain engineering at Millbrook Proving Ground, predict that environmental advances in petrol and diesel could produce a 'leap frog' effect to new technology developments such as fuel cells. Most car builders have developed a fuel cell vehicle, but the challenge is to make it viable as an affordable volume production vehicle.

DaimlerChrysler says it will be capable of producing 100,000 fuel cell cars, based on the Mercedes A-class, each year from 2004 and BMW maintains it will have a competitively-priced vehicle on the road ahead of that date. General Motors has signed up with Toyota to develop a fuel cell car for mass production - also predicted to be on the road for 2004 - and Ford has carried out tests of a fuel cell vehicle in Germany and California.