Until the technologies for hydrogen production from renewable resources becomes widespread, hydrogen produced from natural gas is available as a commercially-established, clean, and low-cost method of hydrogen production. Moreover, there is an advantageous synergy between the natural gas vehicle technology now being commercialized and the technology that will be needed to support a hydrogen-based transportation system. Use of natural gas vehicles helps pave the way for hydrogen by transforming the transportation system from one reliant on liquid fuels to one equipped for gaseous fuels. This fundamental change is being undertaken by an industry with far greater financial resources than those of hydrogen supporters. An extensive fuel delivery infrastructure is already in place and growing. If natural gas vehicles become common, switching from natural gas to hydrogen in the future will involve, for many components, incremental, rather than fundamental, changes. ²⁷

During the transition, use of natural gas vehicles would provide important environmental and energy security benefits compared to continued reliance on oil. Several natural gas vehicles have been certified to meet the California ultra-low emission vehicle standard. To date, no gasoline-powered vehicles have been certified to meet the ultra-low or proposed equivalent zero-emission standards. Fuel cycle analyses performed by the International Energy Agency and others conclude that total emissions from natural gas vehicles, including natural gas leaks from pipelines, are less than emissions from the petroleum fuel cycle.²⁸

Synergy also exists between today's electric vehicles, which are powered largely by electricity stored in batteries, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles of the future. A kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by a fuel cell is identical to a kilowatt-hour drawn from a battery. Hence, most of the electric vehicle system that is designed to serve battery-equipped vehicles - including the motor, controllers, and regenerative brakes - will apply directly to fuel cell vehicles.

The natural gas and electric battery vehicle industries hardly view their roles as limited to promoting transitional technologies; ultimately, hydrogen will have to compete on its own to win consumer acceptance. Development of enabling technologies and compatible infrastructures where none now exist will speed the transition to hydrogen.

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