The UK government has launched a new initiative designed to make hydrogen powered cars a viable alternative to combustion engine vehicles and green,range-restricted battery powered vehicles. The group behind the initiative – called UKH2Mobility– is comprised of 13 companies together with 3 government departments.

Business Minister Mark Prisk commented: "Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are increasingly being recognised as one of the viable options as we move to a lower carbon motoring future."

While there are of course no British owned production car firms in existence, the UK arms of companies like Nissan and Toyota are also behind the initiative, which the government hopes will secure the UK a top position in the manufacture of hydrogen powered cars. Apart from the prestige and the securing of tax revenues from UK based car manufacturers, there will also be the knock on effect of job creation and a ‘trickle-down’ benefit to the communities around production facilities.

There is of course a long way to go before hydrogen cars hit our roads (current prototypes would no doubt call upon their vehicle breakdown insurance policy on a regular basis if they were let loose on our highways!), but the government and the initiative are aiming to have roadworthy vehicles ready by 2015.

With only two or three years until their proposed launch, one can only imagine that carmakers have gone some way towards making the technology work as desired. With green credentials such as Hydrogen power has, many firms will want to be in on this sector – not least, one would imagine, the world’s petrol companies.