But reformation eliminates the need to supply the cell with pure hydrogen, making the whole process cheaper.

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But this portion could grow, given the hassles of making hydrogen:It requires a six-story furnace, called a steam-methane reformer, where natural gas combines with steam and nickel at 1, 600 degrees Fahrenheit to unleash hydrogen gas.

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So although the cars are technically zero emission, the process of making the hydrogen produces carbon dioxide.

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Natural gas contains only one carbon and four hydrogen atoms per molecule, making it the cleanest of fossil fuels.

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Despite the cuts to its hydrogen program, DOE has been making progress on those obstacles as well.

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The resulting hydrogen atoms help to split hydrocarbon molecules, making them more combustible, while the oxygen released goes on to combine with the carbon, ensuring that more of it burns.

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And these heavy elements are very important for making stars, because they allow the hydrogen and the helium to clump together, and collapse into stars then, and start to shine.

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GM--its market share dropping like a heavy molecule, its bonds near junk, its vehicles piling up in dealer lots-is making its single biggest research bet on developing a hydrogen-powered car.

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Such materials could be used to make hydrogen cartridges that would slot into fuel-cell cars, making refuelling as simple as pulling into a filling station and swapping an empty cartridge for a full one.

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