Officials don’t want to discuss this possibility yet, but Frank Seyfried, who is responsible for fuel cell research at VW, said: “We are considering it although no decision has been taken on that.” 

VW’s technology increases a cell’s working temperature, but requires less cooling than existing cells. The VW fuel cell also can be 30 percent smaller than current cells. 

VW needs another three years to build test vehicles using the new technology. It will likely be 10 more years before the first production cars are made. “In 2020, the first affordable VW fuel-cell car for everyday could be on the market,” said Wolfgang Steiger, powertrain director at VW group research.