I think the hydrogen vs. electric issue will sort itself out as time goes on. The MB engineers I spoke with said since it still takes lots of electricity to produce hydrogen in large quantities, the problem of producing inexpensive and clean power must be solved before any significant progress can be made. Offshore wind-farming is said to be the cheapest solution, followed by more costly land-based wind farming, and solar power solutions.

In New Jersey, the subject of offshore wind farming has been discussed, but everyone from fisherman to beachfront property owners have managed to kill the idea. I guess they're worried that dozens of gigantic windmills close to shore will hurt the fishing industry, or have a negative impact on property values.

At some point, I think Americans will have to accept the idea of wind farming, in one form or another. Unfortunately, when that time comes, I fear that the rest of the world will be far ahead of the U.S. in terms of wind farming technology.

FWIW, MB has several fuel cell test vehicles in the U.S. now. I'm told there are several dozen in California, Michigan, and Texas. UPS also has a few "big brown" trucks powered by hydrogen as well.