As electric cars try to forge more than just a niche in the market, the auto industry is already looking to another form of clean technology that could overtake today’s battery-powered vehicles.

Commitments by automobile manufactures to develop hydrogen fuel-cell cars have surged in recent months. Toyota, Hyundai, Daimler and Honda announced plans to build vehicles that run on the most abundant element in the universe and emit only water vapor as a byproduct.

“A lot of auto makers believe the fuel-cell vehicle is just a better performing vehicle and just makes more sense,” said Kevin See, a senior analyst of electric vehicles at Lux Research in Boston.

A fuel-cell-powered car can travel much longer distances than battery-powered ones before needing to be refueled, and fuel cells can be more readily used in large vehicles like trucks and SUVs.

via Hydrogen fuel-cell cars look to overtake electric autos – CNN.com.