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Reading all these comments leaves me kind of disillusioned. Just because liberals like environmentally friendly fuels, doesn't mean we cant like them too.

Isn't striving for better efficiency a conservative ideal? Isn't removing our dependancy on foreign oil a conservative ideal?

Internal combustion engines are only about 25% efficient. They are a mature technology that won't get much better than they already are.

Hydrogen fuels are a fledgling technology that will improve tremendously in the years to come. They are the future.

I get the feeling that some of you didn't pay any attention to the facts mentioned in the article above. Storing hydrogen in hydrides essentially makes the fuel no longer hydrogen until it is needed. If any of you are welders, you could make the comparison to acetylene. Acetylene is obtained from calcium carbide. Calcium carbide is a relativey safe and stable substance. Just add water and voila, you have acetylene gas.

Storing hydrogen in hydrides is akin to storing acetylene in calcium carbide.

Some of you stated that production of hydrogen just consolidates the source of pullution to the utility company. You obviuosly didn't read the section on solar and wind generation of electricity for electrolysis.

How often do you refill your gas tank? Twice a week? Why is it such a bad idea to be able to produce your own fuel in your garage for the one time cost of equipment which will get cheaper and cheaper? You could have a hydrogen generator in you garage that could harness the 1500 watts per square meter of sunlight that is constantly making hydrogen. Why is this such a loony idea?

If you ask me alternative fuels is an issue that is ripe to be stolen from the liberals, the same way they co-opted civil rights in the 60's. We could do a much better job.

I agree that hydrogen power (though maybe not all alternative fuel sources) is an issue ripe to be taken from liberals. However, I have doubts about whether it is ready for mass use. I would love to see one of these conversion systems in action and would like to know the following: 1) how does the cost of hydrogen produced at home compare to gasoline after figuring in the cost of your generator, maintenance, and increased electricity use; 2) How does the performance of the hydrogen Corvette compare to a gasoline Corvette; 3) how bulky is the hydride storage system; 4) what are the safety issues of home hydrogen production; and 5) how much gasoline does the car use during its warm-up stage (most trips I make are 5-10 minutes, I might not even get the thing warmed up before stopping).

This is not a hydrogen vehicle by the way, but a hybrid that uses hydrogen only after running on gasoline for a while (another thing, how does climate affect the performance of the system?).

With that lengthy qualifier, though, I am all for this system. Who would have thought that those ads in the back of Popular Science offering Tandy and HeathKit home computer kits would be the predecessor of the PC industry? What could this lead to?

Forget logic when talking about Hydrogen or other alternatives. The mantra is always "there's no other way but oil. There's no other way but oil". Repeat 5000 times until your eyes glaze over and you actually start believing it.

Hydride storage and solar powered electrolysis gensets have been around since the 70's. If you take the approach that the real cost of oil is more like $5 / gallon when you factor in the total cost to get it (like fighting wars in a part of the world that decayed beyond hope 500 years ago), then cases for alternative fuels and methods become viable really quickly.

The Luddites will still be here complaining that they can't get a '66 GTO anymore long after everyone else is driving Hybrid or Hydrogen SUV's using manufactured fuels. Let them honk. But especially let the Arabs honk as they have to drink their damn oil, because no one wants it.