Photos: Peugeot downsizes the fuel cell

It's bigger than a couple of breadboxes, but French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroen says that this new fuel cell is the smallest one currently available for use in cars. The Genepac can provide power for 310 miles, more than previous fuel cells, but still not enough for general-purpose use. "This technology is still at its early stages but offers a real answer for the future," PSA Chairman Jean-Martin Folz (right) said at the unveiling Monday. (Also pictured, from left, are Alain Bugat, chairman of the CEA, France's atomic energy commission, and Gilles de Robien, France's minister of education.)

Although the 57-liter Genepac is smaller than previous fuel cells, it still is too large for a small passenger car, requiring instead the space of a vehicle like this Peugeot van. PSA officials say the cost and size of fuel cells remain a problem, mainly due to the use of platinum.