Concept cars are like the supermodels of the fashion world. No one expects to actually own those cars/clothes, but they may be attracted to the brand as the creativity chord is played.

I hear ya, JL, but I feel that way about the fashion industry, too!

Money well spent (sarcasm). hehe

Hydrogen fuel cells are energy negative. It consumes more energy to create and store hydrogen than is yielded in the vehicles. I get concerned for our well being if everybody buys the hydrogen lie and we are further set back from positive change (since each change in our collective conscience can happen too slowly (in terms of conviction) for what is at stake with global warming and the fight for the last drops). Making a change towards hydrogen, then a change away from hydrogen to a better solution (there, of course, are definite positives to hydrogen) will take too long. We just don't have the time or the resources. We need a better solution today. Change can happen quickly. They (who is this they business? =) talk like it can't, but if there is a profit to follow and a consensus on benefits, we would be amazed how quickly change can happen. It freaks me out when I hear discussion and propaganda about the timeline of changes we need to undergo, when it is presented like integration would take decades. That is all part of a campaign of confusion to stall the inevitable. Anytime an a economy undergoes change, there can be an opportunity for profit and growth, the only setback currently in integrating change, is of course the shift in what pocket the profit will be flowing toward. That is the only true cause for delay. Intentional stalling from the people in power and building confusion with this fuel cell business to divert attention. It is like a magician's trick. look over here so I can fool you.

i don't know why i just went off. sorry. =)

I got myself a bicycle this week. It felt good. Yeah, I like clean air. I wish i could breathe the air of 200 years ago, i wonder if i would notice a difference in taste, smell or nourishment.

I want one! I want one!
Why don´t they make this for market?

Great article!

Take a deep breath Beeeeeeeee - change of anykind is better than the damage being done to our planet now. That being said - I thought this was a great article.

Why bother covering concept cars? Concentrating on the real world is time better spent.

"Why bother covering concept cars?"

Because they matter in many ways. They can indicate where the cutting edge is. What direction companies are interested in. Many technologies are first debuted there before they make it to consumer models. etc.

Mark D - how is any change better when it makes things worse. Hydrogen fuel cells are engergy negative, that mean more fossil fuels will be used.

Hydrogen is an energy storage unit.

So is ethanol.

So is batteries:)

So is methane.

In a way so is Fossil Fuels.

So well, I'm not against hydrogen. Do I think batteries are a better way to go. Seems Tesla is proving it.

thanks beeeeeee

Despite looking like something out of The Jetson’s – it’d be great if Ford did finally realize that fuel economy (through electric and plug-in-electric hybrids) is the true Way Forward. But this offering is still a concept car that will likely never hit the road – and won’t do anything to address Ford’s financial woes or the consumer demand for fuel efficient vehicles

We all know increasing fuel efficiency is the direction automakers need to head – so let’s get past the hype of a handful of concept vehicles and look at what they are doing with the rest of their fleet. Overall average fuel economy from the Big 6 is worse today that it was 10 years ago and Ford is consistently at the bottom of the pack. They are still fighting tooth-and-nail against increasing fuel economy regulations, suing states that try to limit greenhouse gas emissions, and in December argued before the Supreme Court that carbon from tailpipe emissions was not even a pollutant.

Several companies are already doing plug-in conversions to the Ford Escape Hybrid – and Ford doesn’t need to start from scratch (or take cues from Sci-Fi movies) to lead the industry in fuel economy. There are hundreds of cities, counties, utility districts and private fleets clamoring for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Ford could be developing prototype conversions of their Escape Hybrid and making test-fleets available to these anxious early-adopters – while building public confidence in this technology and laying the groundwork for mass production.

If Ford wants to see my support they would:

• Stop lobbying against rises in fuel economy (CAFÉ) standards
• Drop the lawsuits against states like California who are trying to regulate greenhouse gases
• Commit to leading the industry in fuel economy across their entire fleet.

I’ve been working with the Freedom From Oil Campaign to make automakers honestly prioritize fuel economy and move beyond oil – check out what we do at :

http://www.FreedomFromOil.org

Why do US auto designers think their concept vehicles need to look like something from the Jetson's cartoon.

Even for a concept this four-wheel wreck looks beyond stupid.

Plug-in electric hybrids with a 50-100 mile range is the only future for big US automakers. But as history shows they'll realize this undeniable truth about four years too later.

Just a friendly reminder from a car nut: The automobile companies are in the business of selling automoblies, not restoring our environment. That's our job. Spend wisely.

P.S. I still like the VW: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/09/1964_vw_bus_get.php

I'm sorry, it's just flat out ugly. It seems as though they make these cars to fail from the get go. They don't want the majority of the world screaming for these cars. They know they are on to something with the technology and then they screw it up with their designs to keep them off the market do to lack of interest. Later, trying to blame the technology for why the cars didn't gain enough appeal.

Born and raised here, I consider myself an american who deep down truly loves his country, but as the Vapors' once sang, "I'm turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so." The Honda and Toyota companies are the Real John Wayne's, being the only ones really gutsy enough to try and show us something that we can really sit in.

Artistically it's great!!! That's about it though!!!

How is a vehicle that can only do 305 miles of any benefit to us? Most people drive into the cities for work and some travel a lot farther than 305 miles. Ford knows that better millage out of gasoline engines is possible so why not just incorporate it into existing models or future models. In 1933 Charles Nelson Pogue made headlines when he drove a 1932 Ford V8, 200 miles on a gallon of gas during a demonstration conducted by The Ford Motor Companies in Winnipeg, Manitoba using his super-carb system. US Patent # 2,026,798. What about modifications that have also increased the mpg of even the biggest gas guzzlers? I think it's all just PR. GM had a battery cell vehicle, the EV1 that they refused to sell to anyone and when the lease was up they simply crushed them so that no one could own them. If Bush and the automakers are serious then stop erecting walls every times someone comes up with an ingenious idea for reducing fuel consumption.

Alot of you are quite unhinged. So what other conspiracies do you all subscibe to?

Interesting concept. All I know is that the people designing this stuff are much more brilliant than any of us are and will do more with regard the environment and providing a superior product than any clown (including me) posting on an internet board.

As far as air 200 years ago guy...the air smelled like horse manure since that is what moved everything everywhere at that time.

Yes, spend the time and money on REAL cars instead of all those vaporware stuff