The trend is there for all to see.The relentless rise in price of oil, the volatility of the oil market, either due to politics or else to the evergrowing demands of the emerging markets, and the increasingly stringent environmental regulations -all these factors are putting pressure on carmakers and their suppliers as never before. The result is that research into alternative powertrains and fuels has never been as intense as it has been over the past few years. The solutions have come thick and fast but they have tended to revolve around the internal combustion engine which has consequently been given a new lease of life. The recognised end game, though, is the hydrogen economy and the role that the vehicle and its powertrain are going to play in it.
展开▼
