"The world has been waiting for this advance," says Watanabe. "We are at a crossroads. In today’s marketplace, several powertrain concepts are competing for consumers. Auto industry leaders experienced this once before, in 1900, when steam, electric, and gasoline-powered engines were all in use. Why did gasoline engine technology win out? There are three main factors: engineering advancements, infrastructure, and cost. Gasoline engines benefited from the development of electric starters, for example. This advance made it easy for anyone to start a car. Kerosene was used in homes throughout the U.S., so an infrastructure was in place that could easily support gasoline when it was introduced. And Henry Ford addressed the issue of cost when he built his Model T assembly line and began production for the masses. In light of these conditions friendly to gasoline engines, and the trade-
offs of range and convenience, steam and electric vehicles simply could not compete.
"Today, we are faced with the same situation," continues Watanabe. "Manufacturers cannot introduce new technologies without convincingly meeting all three conditions for popularization. Building a few concept cars is no challenge; building a car that anyone can buy, and use, anywhere on the planet, is a massive endeavor. Successful introduction of a fuel cell vehicle, for example, will not only require that automakers face the challenges of technological development and high-volume production; but they also will have to work with the nations of the world to ensure that adequate infrastructure is in place. California's struggle to establish an electric vehicle infrastructure clearly shows how challenging this can be."
Greener Thinking for a New Automotive Age