GLEN ALLEN, Va.-Next year could be the “take-off” year for mobile fuel cells, according to a new report from NanoMarkets L.C.
By 2010, NanoMarkets predicts the mobile fuel cell market will be worth $1.6 billion. By 2012, it could reach $2.6 billion, according to the report.
NanoMarkets outlined four developments that suggest the mobile fuel cell market is primed for success.
The increasing power requirements for feature-rich devices drain traditional batteries too quickly. A new paradigm exists in which fuel cells initially will be introduced as portable rechargers for batteries or in hybrid fuel cell/battery combos rather than competing directly with traditional batteries. NanoMarkets predicts more than 80 percent of fuel cells will be used in conjunction with batteries in 2010.
The third market driver is the backing of electronics and computing industry heavyweights. And finally, more efficient DMFC fuel cells that operate at lower temperatures have made fuel cell technology more viable for mobile applications, said the report.
