We've all heard of hybrid electric vehicles, but hybrid fuel cells is admittedly a first for me. Ballard power systems has just announced a new tie-up with the Federal Transit Administration to test two types of hybrid fuel cell buses.

According to Ballard's Chief customer officer "There are 36 Ballard-powered fuel cell buses transporting people on roads around the world today" which gives you a perspective of how far this technology has to go to become mainstream. It would be great to see Ballard making more sales direct to private companies rather than profligate government agencies. Some people think this may actually start next year with Ballard fuel cells for forklift trucks. And take a look at the company's own flash roadmap - quite entertaining but not very enlightening.

So when will we all be driving fuel cell vehicles?

A good piece here from a 2004 issue of Wired - "... the price of producing a fuel-cell vehicle must be reduced by a factor of 10 before the autos will become cost-competitive. The majority of the fuel cell cost comes from the membranes (30 percent to 35 percent) and the catalyst materials (40 percent) that are stacked in layers"

Since then though, fuel cell manufacturers have been hit by the commodities boom, because the price of platinum has risen from $10,000 per pound in 2004 to about 30% higher today.

This commodity boom has hit other parts of the alternative energy boom too - like the impact of silicon prices on solar and steel on wind turbines . . . raising prices when most thought they would fall