Industry Profile

Transportation continues to be the chief consumer of energy on the planet, and will remain that way as car usage in the US, China and other developing nations grow in the years ahead. More people have access to motor vehicles than ever before, and the number of car owners will continue to rise.

In 2003, there were roughly 15 cars for every 1,000 people in the world. By 2020, the figure is expected to reach 50 per 1,000 people, with most of the growth in emerging international markets.

One forecast suggests the number of cars worldwide will grow from about 800 million in 2004 to 2.5 billion by 2030. The technology and infrastructure to support hydrogen fuel cells is decades off. The private auto, consuming hydrocarbon and/or alternative fuels, will remain for most of the world the most desirable form of transportation.