Competing technologies and the struggle towards a new dominant design: the emergence of the hybrid vehicle at the expense of the Fuel Cell Vehicle?

The internal combustion engine is one of the most persistent established technologies in today's world. However, its dominance may be eroding due to stringent air pollution standards set since the early 1990s, particularly in California. Several technologies have been proposed to replace the conventional engine, most notably the fuel-cell vehicle (FCV). Despite vast support from the automotive industry for this long-term technology, another technology is opening the market as we speak: the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). Based on a sociotechnical analysis of these technologies, we show that the HEV should not be overlooked as a candidate for the dominant design in the automotive industry in favour of the FCV. Based on this analysis, we conclude with an outlook on the possibilities of the FCV and implications for policy-makers in encouraging sustainable mobility.