What's Good for G.M. Is Good for the Country?

General Motors has dropped its EV1 electric car from production, announcing yesterday that it is shifting its focus to vehicles powered by hybrid fuel-electric systems and fuel cells. At the North American International Auto Show yesterday, the company unveiled a fuel-cell version of its Precept concept car that gets 108 miles to the gallon. GM and other automakers have pledged that by 2004 they will produce fuel-cell cars ready for the market. Meanwhile, Ballard Power Systems this week unveiled a new fuel cell that's smaller and cheaper than earlier models and that takes up the same amount of space as a traditional car engine. Ballard's stock surged on the news.