Report: Fuel Cell Cars Could Capture One-Third of Global Market

Fuel cell-powered cars could total 491 million units worldwide by 2050 if developers can cut the per-kilowatt cost of such systems by about 27%, according to an analysis commissioned by the U.K.'s Carbon Trust.

The independent consortium funds research on polymer fuel cells, which it describes as smaller, lighter and cooler-running than conventional architectures.

Current-generation polymer fuel cells would cost $49 per kilowatt to produce at annual volume of 500,000 units, the report says. The polymer systems supported by the Carbon Trust could reduce the cost to $36/kW, or about $3,100 for a midsize sedan.

Developers say they can reach that price goal by boosting power density, reducing system complexity, improving durability and using less platinum.

At $36/kW, the report says, fuel cells would be competitive with internal combustion engines and could generate annual global sales of 200 million units by 2050. The analysis estimates that the lower-priced systems would capture 34% of car sales, 36% of bus sales, 93% of forklift truck sales and 83% of portable generator sets by then.

A free copy of the full Carbon Trust report can be downloaded HERE.