Hitachi Details Fuel Cell Plans"> Hitachi Details Fuel Cell Plans

Hitachi has co-developed a prototype direct methanol fuel cell for use in mobile electronics products and plans to launch the product with a compatible PDA in 2005, the company says. (Methanol in a PDA? Beans, beans, they power my machines….) Direct methanol fuel cells mix methanol with air and water to produce electrical power.

The prototype fuel cell is a cartridge about .4 inches in diameter and between 1.9 inches and 2.4 inches in length, said Nemoto. Hitachi considers this size, which is similar to that of a AA battery, as about the right size for commercial use and so won’t be working on changing the dimensions by a large amount. (And you really, really, really, don’t want to dispose of these in fire…)