check out the video on youtube
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iy3OApcI6ZY

The Hydrogen Combustion engine was on the BMW Hydrogen 7 series which as far as I know is the only serious attempt at such a ridiculous idea. Hydrogen combustion engines are much less powerful than equivalent gasoline engines and much much less efficient than a fuel cell at extracting hydrogen energy.

I'm really encouraged to see someone FINALLY put a solar panel on the roof of a car, you'd think this would have been one of the first innovations to follow hybrid technology. How about we turn parking lots into solar farms instead of disrupting precious natural habitats to do the same thing?

Thanks - so that's who it was that had that lame hydrogen internal combustion engine. Probably just a PR attempt. Probably costed little to implement.

And the solar panel produces what? 20 watts? Enough to power the interior lighting for a few seconds before you turn the car on. This thing doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Why waste all that green-ness making an SUV do 0-60 in 8 seconds? And I'm still unaware of the clean power source that we are planning to use to make the hydrogen. Maybe all those roof solar panels.

Chris, I can't find the exact specifications on the solar panel. Of course it's not going to be enough to power the vehilcle alone, but I'm sure it will contribute more than a few seconds of interior lighting. Also the quick acceleration is a result of the inherent ability of electric motors to output maximum torque at ZERO rpm. Since electric motors are much more efficient at translating energy into motion than combustion engines, it matters little what size motor or gearing you use or how fast you go, it takes NEARLY the same amount of energy to move the same amount of mass the same distance.

Especially when you factor in regenerative breaking, you may as well go as fast as you can since most of that energy can be recovered when it comes time to slow down.

Oh yeah, and everyone else already knows that the hydrogen economy will be pointless without solar. They're working on it dude, chill out.

Almost forgot the interior lighting uses LEDs of course. 20 watts could power them for DAYS!

Until we can develop a new energy source that doesn't rely on fossil fuels to produce that energy commodity, we're stuck with burning dead organic matter. The energy sector won't allow these technologies to advance in today's landscape, those who rule are living the high life on oil revenues. Who's going to give up their power.

I would like everyone to review what watts, volts, and amps are. 20 watts is not a measurement used to say how long a light can be turned on.
If you have a 20 watt panel and a 20 watt light, the light will stay on as long as the panel is producing its full power. No sunlight no power.

I do agree that this new technology should not be focussed on SUVs.