At the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2006, Panasonic showed a fuel cell meant to power notebooks as an alternative to traditional batteries. At that time, the company only managed to create a fuel cell which was two times larger than a laptop battery. The Japanese company has been working on the fuel cell for eight years, and has managed to come up with a product that can fit into any notebook.

The latest version of the fuel cell Panasonic showed this week at an event in Japan is two times smaller than the initial version, which means that it is the same size as a laptop battery. The fuel cell is able to power up a laptop for about 20 hours on 200cc of highly concentrated methanol. When it shows low power, users will only have to pour some more methanol into the cell and they'll keep on working.

According to the company, the new version of the fuel cell has a 270 cubic centimeters capacity and can output an average 10 watts, but is also able to deliver a peak output of 20 watts. The fuel cell weighs only 320 grams. The maker also announced that the new products are expected to arrive on the market by the end of 2012.

Currently, the fuel cell technology is experimented in the car fabrication industry. Some of the biggest automakers in the world are working on the development of fuel cell-powered cars, and the idea seems to attract others as well. Honda, one of the automakers experimenting with the technology, already has its FCX fuel cell vehicles being tested on the streets. Consumers do not have access to fuel cell technology at the moment, but it may become standard in the future.