GM pushes fuel cell technology

The fuel cell, a chemical reactor that generates electricity, is still regarded as a futuristic technology. Unlike gas-electric hybrid vehicles, it represents a top-to-bottom change in vehicle technology. It won’t be available in many cars until 2020, the Energy Department predicts.

But the fuel cell that GM has developed here in Monroe County is further along than you might think. The technology is on track to be road-worthy in five years, engineers say.