Opel is confident it will launch the world's first commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell car in six years time.

Carl-Peter Forster, Opel chairman, made the announcement at a Darmstadt presentation of the Zafira-based GM HydroGen3 fuel cell car that has been on a 10,000km demonstration run through the European cities, including London.

Forster, however, warned of the need to create a hydrogen fuelling infrastructure, and to bring the production cost of the FCV to competitive levels. The HydroGen3 has a current cost of around £53,280.