Zero-emission vehicles could have a strong future in China as "pollution limits China's growth", said Lisa Margonelli, a New American Foundation Fellow who has written widely about alternative energy in China. In one article, she pointed out that pollution-related illness could cost up to 15 percent of the country's gross domestic product.

These are the health and environmental concerns that could establish China as a strong market for hydrogen cars, she said. Its citizens will continue to acquire the wealth to purchase a vehicle in the first place, but will not wish to see the pollution resulting from the average petroleum car.

"People want cars, but they don't want pollution," said Margonelli, adding that "the virtue of hydrogen cars" is that they lack tailpipe emissions.

As the US currently has 1.07 cars per driver, she pointed out that purchasing a vehicle will likely begin to appeal to the 88 percent of the world that doesn't own one.

"There's a huge market for hydrogen vehicles" in both the US and China, said Dan Sperling, the director of the Institute for Transportation Studies at the University of California,

Still, he said, "it will take a long time to achieve an economy of the vehicles."

(China Daily June 1, 2009)