* A new study by
Roland Berger shows that the cost of fuel cells can drop considerably by 2025
* The biggest cost
driver for fuel-cell systems remains the high price of platinum
* Carmakers are
focusing their R&D on platinum-free fuel-cell technology
* Cars powered by
fuel cells will remain a niche phenomenon until an alternative to platinum is
found
* A breakthrough onto
the mass market is not realistic even if production costs are reduced by up to
80%
Fuel-cell vehicles could be an attractive alternative to
battery-powered cars in realizing zero-emission vehicles. Fuel cells have long
been considered a promising technology for circumventing the problem of limited
battery range.