News

Bush Seeks Funding Boost for Hydrogen Cars

February 02, 2004 by Jeff Shepard

The Bush administration wants a 43-percent increase in federal funds to develop cars that run on hydrogen fuel and the service stations to support them. The additional $69 million would bring the program's total funding to $228 million for the 2005 spending year, which begins October 1, under the White House's recently released proposed government budget.

The money is part of President Bush's long-term initiative begun last year to reduce US dependence on foreign oil by developing hydrogen-powered fuel cells to run cars, trucks, homes and businesses. The emissions-free vehicles would also cut pollution as the only byproduct would be water. The administration wants to have the hydrogen cars in the market and available to consumers at an affordable price near the end of the next decade.