What I was effecting is the US needs a paradigm shift in its vehicle energy useage, and I believe that the FCX Clarity is the larger shift we need. If I wanted a gasoline hybrid, I could buy either a Prius or Insight for far less than $30k.
The following are responses to several people, and I'm too lazy to quote. You'.ll figure it out.
When I said skeletal, I meant foundational, rudimentary, elemental. I didn't mean ubiquitous, as we have with our gas stations. There should be, at least, one hydrogen station in Chicago. There isn't. It's a shame.
None of GM's previous fuel cells could get 270 miles of range from their H2 tanks in the mid-60's. Usefully powerful electric generators have been around since 1832, the argument could be made that the Volt's powertrain is even less of a big deal than the fuel cell. Diesel-electric motors have been used in trains since the mid-20's.
*If* the Volt could be adapted "With just a couple simple modifications to be able to use a different fuel source," great. But, if I buy one when released, I'm still locked in to gasoline. How much will it cost me to convert it to E85/Biodiesel/Solar Cell/Etc?
Plug-in hybrids are fine for local driving, but there are people with massive commutes or, like myself, who do significant amounts of travel that require more than a couple hundred miles before I take a few hours to refuel my car. Or, we'll need significant advances in battery technology... batteries that are environmentally detrimental to create and to dispose of...
I hope you gals and gents understand where I'm coming from. If I'm going to change, I will personally change completely. I want the US to move away from a fossil fuel economy... and either we do it, or we don't. We change, or we don't.
There are no baby steps, and that's why it's so difficult to get us away from oil.