Would you believe me if I told you that hydrogen powered cars have actually been in the pipeline since the early 1900's? Almost since the very beginning of the auto industry - car manufacturers have flirted with the possibility of powering cars and vehicles with one of the most abundant and renewable resources that this world has to offer - water.
If you take a look back at the patent records in the US patent office in 1916 - you will find a prototype filed under the heading "hydro-oxygen" generation. As you will see listed, there is an exact model of how the engine would work, as well as a detailed explanation of exactly what the process of converting water to power would involve.
This is followed up throughout the decades with more and more patent filings - namely in 1939, where a patent was specifically filed under the heading "internal combustion engine using hydrogen as fuel". You can make it any more obvious than this. Hydrogen powered technology has been alive and well for almost as long as the fossil fueled alternative has been on the market.
Anyone coming across this information for the first time will probably be asking themselves - "why hasn't hydrogen power received the same attention as fossil fuel, and why aren't we already developing cars with this technology if we knew how to do it back in 1916?". This is a very good question. The answer, however, will not be as pleasing.
See, it has nothing to do with the environment. Why it comes down to it - then modern capitalist society really doesn't care too much about nature, natural resources, or anything like that. It's all about profits. Money rules in this age - and the reality behind why hydrogen power has never taken off has everything to do with this fact.
In real life, hydrogen power simply isn't profitable. No-one would be cunning enough attempt to sell you something which you can simply get from your kitchen tap (hang on - can't you buy bottled water at the supermarket?). Therefore, until companies are able to discover a way to profit from hydrogen power - regardless of whether or not that is good for the environment - the reality is that it won't become a mainstream product anytime soon.