world's leading automobile and petrochemical giants, General Motors ( gm ) and Exxon Mobil, have developed a highly efficient gasoline fuel processor for fuel cell vehicles that would reduce emissions and improve fuel economy to a great extent.

Officials of gm said that the new processor would serve as an interim application between today's cars and the ultimate goal of developing a zero-emission vehicles. "It's part of an industry-wide effort to find the best way to power automobiles,' said Steven Taub, associate director with Cambridge Energy Research Associates of Massachusetts.

The new processor uses gasoline to produce hydrogen that powers a fuel cell car, therefore, enabling the consumers to energise the fuel cell cars the same way they fuel their current cars.