The GM Sequel is the third in a line of GM fuel cell concept vehicles, following the Autonomy and Hy-wire vehicles from a few years ago. With each vehicle, General Motors comes a bit closer to reality, in both design and technology. The Cadillac SRX-size Sequel crossover actually looks like a real car, unlike its more outrageous predecessors.
The biggest difference, though, is that the Sequel is actually doable. While the Hy-wire and Autonomy concepts were more of a "what if?" using technology yet to be invented, this vehicle has a completely functional powertrain, held back from the market only for monetary reasons.
With advances in fuel cells, by-wire technology, and wheel hub motors, GM has doubled the range and halved 0-60 times for their concept vehicles. The Sequel is able to travel an impressive 300 miles on its Hydrogen supply while accelerating from 0-60 in under ten seconds, bettering present green machines such as the VW Jetta TDI and Toyota Prius Hybrid. GM hopes to have fuel cell vehicles on the market by 2010-a lofty goal for a company with no full hybrid vehicle presently on the market (the Silverado/Sierra hybrid trucks are merely "mild" hybrids). We can only hope that the General's hybrid silence is due to strong efforts to expedite a fuel cell reality.