GM looks to China for fuel cells

China may become the first country in which General Motors builds large numbers of fuel-cell vehicles, a top GM executive said.

"China is on our short list," said Larry Burns, GM's vice president of r&d strategic planning, during an interview at the Shanghai auto show.

The small number of gasoline filling stations in China could be an advantage in the development of fuel cell vehicles, Burns told Automotive News.

The Chinese government can choose to build an automotive infrastructure that is conducive to fuel cell use rather than gasoline-centered, Burns said.

"We need partners with the infrastructure," he said. "China is all about relationships."

Most fuel cell vehicles use gaseous hydrogen fuel to generate electricity.

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., GM's partner in China, is displaying a fuel cell sedan at the Shanghai show. GM is promoting a fuel cell version of its Chevrolet Volt concept here.

The Chinese government is pushing automakers in China to explore alternative-fuel vehicles to reduce pollution and cut the country's oil bill.