Publication Detail

Fuel Cell Commercialization Perspectives — Market Concepts, Competing Technologies and Cost Challenges for Automotive and Stationary Applications

UCD-ITS-RP-03-04

Journal Article

Hydrogen Pathways Program

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Suggested Citation:
Lipman, Timothy E. and Daniel Sperling (2003) Fuel Cell Commercialization Perspectives — Market Concepts, Competing Technologies and Cost Challenges for Automotive and Stationary Applications. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Journal Article UCD-ITS-RP-03-04

Fuel cells are currently being developed for the following applications:
  • power for portable electronic devices (5–50 W)
  • power for remote telecommunications applications (100W–1 kW)
  • power for construction and outdoor recreation uses (1–3kW)
  • auxiliary power units for cars and trucks, and motive power for scooters (3–5 kW)
  • stationary power generation (1 kW–50 MW) electric passenger car, utility vehicle, and bus power systems (20 kW–250 kW).
Some fuel cell companies are focusing on a single fuel cell type and application combination, while other companies are investigating more than one fuel cell technology and various potential applications. The following sections of this chapter briefly describe the current state of fuel cell industries for the stationary power and transportation markets, some of the commercialization plans for these two sectors, and additional thoughts about prospects for market commercialization of fuel cell technology. We do not discuss in detail the prospects for fuel cell for portable electronic devices, since this application is rather distinct and still at a relatively early stage of development.
In Handbook of Fuel Cells – Fundamentals, Technology and Applications, ed. Wolf Vielstich, Hubert Gasteiger, Arnold Lamm, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 3, chapter 110.