Although conventional automobile technology seems to meet present consumer needs sufficiently throughout the world, the inevitable decline in the world's oil supply and the growing environmental impact from car emissions will ultimately force all societies to rebuild their automotive infrastructures. Any emerging automobile culture will necessarily call for drastic reductions in fossil fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions. Other fuels must replace the use of gasoline in automobiles. Among these alternatives, hydrogen seems to be the most viable option. Countries just beginning to erect a system of private car ownership could have a unique opportunity either to pursue conventional, proven gasoline technology or to skip to the young, but promising, automotive technology based on hydrogen. China is one such country. This paper builds a scenario that explores the prerequisites and consequences to China's adoption of a hydrogen-based mobility infrastructure.
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