In 1889, Ludwig Mond and Charles Langer attempted to build a working fuel cell using air and industrial coal gas. Another source states that it was William White Jaques who first coined the term "fuel cell." Jaques was known as the first researcher to use phosphoric acid in the electrolyte bath.
Fuel Cell research conducted in the 1920's in Germany led to the creation of the kind of fuel cells being used today.
In 1932, Francis T. Bacon began his research on fuel cells. Early cell designers used porous platinum electrodes and sulfuric acid as the electrolyte bath. Using platinum was expansive and using sulfuric acid was corrosive. Bacon improved on the expensive platinum catalysts with a hydrogen and oxygen cell using a less corrosive alkaline electrolyte and inexpensive nickel electrodes. Bacon took until 1959 to perfect his design. Bacon demonstrated a five-kilowatt fuel cell that could power a welding machine. Francis T. Bacon, a direct descendent of the other well known Francis Bacon, named his fuel cell design the "Bacon Cell".
In 1959, Harry Karl operated the first ever vehicle powered with a fuel cell. He operated a 20-horsepower tractor.
From the 1960's to today, NASA has been putting money into research on fuel cells. This is because nuclear reactors are to dangerous for spacecraft and batteries and solar powered batteries were too bulky for the spacecraft.
Some countries around the world are beginning to use hydrogen fuel cells to power their cars instead of oil. Iceland is trying to be the first country to have a complete Hydrogen powered economy. In 1998, Iceland announced its plans to create a hydrogen economy in cooperation with a German car maker, Daimler Benz, and a Canadian fuel cell developer, Ballard Power Systems. Iceland plans to convert all of its vehicles, including its massive fishing fleet, to using hydrogen power instead of oil.
In the United States, several acts like the congressional Hydrogen Future Act of 1996 and several state laws are promoting hydrogen power. Worldwide, different types of fuel cells have been developed with extensive public funding. The United States alone has sunk more than one billion dollars into fuel-cell research in the last thirty years.
Europe's first public commercial hydrogen fuel station for cars and trucks opened for business in Hamburg, Germany in February of 1999.
Daimler Chrysler unveiled the liquid hydrogen vehicle NECAR 4 in April of 1999. It had a top speed of 90 mph and a 280-mile tank capacity. The car wowed the press. The company plans to have fuel-cell vehicles in limited production by the year 2004. By that time, Daimler Chrysler will have spent $1.4 billion more on fuel-cell technology development.
Singapore physicists announced a new hydrogen storage method of alkali-doped carbon nanotubes that would increase hydrogen storage and safety in August of 1999. San Yang, A Taiwanese company, is developing the first fuel-cell powered motorcycle.