GM Demonstrates Gasoline-Fed Fuel Cell Vehicle

General Motors Corp. (Detroit, MI) demonstrated what it believes is the world's first drivable fuel cell vehicle that extracts hydrogen from gasoline to produce electricity. The demonstration used a fuel-cell-powered Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck.

The S-10 pickup was equipped with a fuel processor that reforms low sulfur gasoline though a series of chemical reactions. GM claims that the reformer technology installed on the S-10 could cut carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent, and permit the vehicle to travel for up to 40mpg.

"This vehicle and the reforming technology in it move us closer to a hydrogen economy," said Larry Burns, GM vice president of research and development and planning.