• Hydrogen hybrids signal a new era in automobiles.avenue encombr??e image by Emmanuelle Combaud from Fotolia.com
  
  Automobiles referred to as hydrogen hybrids are those that make use of hydrogen gas as an alternative fuel source to gasoline. While there are few hydrogen hybrids available to buy commercially, there are a number of vehicles in the testing and pre-production stages.
  
  

Hydrogen Car Company

• The Hydrogen Car Company's range of Hydrogen Shelby vehicles run on compressed hydrogen. The size of the tanks allow for 80 to 100 miles of travel per fill. The cars' performance is similar to cars that run on gasoline. The Hydrogen Shelby Cobra can go from 0 to 60 mph in four seconds and has a maximum speed of 140 mph.
  
  

Toyota

• In 2006, California's South Coast Air Quality Management District California began a five-year test-run of a modified series of Toyota Prius hydrogen hybrids. Made in conjunction with Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, these cars can be refueled with hydrogen instead of gasoline. Each has a compressed gas fuel cylinder that can hold up to 1.6 kg of hydrogen, the equivalent to about 80 miles of driving. Toyota also produces the FCHV. This vehicle uses a standard Highlander chassis but contains a 90 kilowatt (130 hp) PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell instead of an engine. The vehicle's hydrogen is contained in high-pressure carbon fiber tanks.
  
  

Anuyu

• The Anuyu motor company has developed a fuel cell hybrid with a price tag of under $100,000 --- making it one of the cheapest on the market. The vehicle uses the company's standard 1.5 kw PEM fuel-cell stacks contained within a Nissan Frontier-style pickup chassis. The vehicles are designed for predominantly urban usage and have a speed limit of 70 mph.
  
  

Ronn Motors

• The Scorpion supercar runs on a hydrogen hybrid system and claims to achieve 0 to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. Its sleek lines are more reminiscent of a Bugatti or Lamborghini than what is commonly expected from a vehicle driven by alternative technology. Unfortunately, it has only been produced as a test car.