New solar machine could generate hydrogen fuel, food for your future vehicle

[img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/12/hydrogen-engine.jpg
[/img]We're hesitant to file this one in the folder marked "Awesome
Things That'll Never Happen," but it's definitely on the watch list. A
new prototype solar device has been concocted to convert sunlight into
fuel, much in the same way a plant does. Eco-minded folks will
probably understand that conventional photovoltaic panels "must use
the electricity they generate in situ," and thus, cannot deliver
energy at night; this here device takes a rather unorthodox approach,
using the sun's rays along with ceria (a magical, marvelous metal
oxide) to "break down carbon dioxide or water into fuels which can be
stored and transported." In theory, at least, the device could be used
to create hydrogen and / or carbon monoxide, with the former being
obviously useful for fueling up hydrogen-based cars of the future.
Sadly, the existing prototype is horribly inefficient -- only around
0.7 percent of the solar energy can be converted into fuel -- but
researchers are adamant that they can boost that to nearly 20 percent
in time. We'll check back in a decade or so to see how things are
progressing.