The U.S. Department of Energy will give Ford and the Los Alamos National Laboratory $6 million in order to accelerate the development of fuel cell technologies.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Ford intends to use the funds to help it develop a more affordable hydrogen fuel cell system which it can soon offer on a production vehicle at a competitive price.

Despite some heralding hydrogen vehicles as the future of the auto industry, they’ve failed to take off like electric cars, primarily due to their high costs and the lack of hydrogen fuelling stations across the United States and the rest of the world.

Upon announcing the funding, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell said “Ford is helping lead the nation in the research and development of next-generation technologies that will make our cars cleaner, safer and more fuel efficient.

“This announcement will help accelerate American innovation in clean energy technologies, and keep Michigan and the U.S. at the forefront of developing the cars and trucks of the future,” she said.

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