General Motors will provide more than 4,000 vehicles to Vancouver's Olympic organizing committee for the 2010 Games, and a third will use hybrid technology or run on alternative fuel.
"We're actively involved in supporting the Olympics, and obviously showcasing our technologies that are cutting edge ... and are also favourable for the environment," company spokesperson Todd Goldstein told CTV British Columbia.
The technology could involve an advanced form of GM's HydroGen3 -- hydrogen fuel cells. The vehicles would be more powerful, faster, and have greater range than current models.
But the most impressive aspect would be what's missing.
"Because we're not burning the hydrogen or combusting it as we would an internal combustion engine, we have no emissions," said Goldstein.
"It's a true zero-emission vehicle. No smog pollutants out the tailpipe and no greenhouse gases. Just straight water out of the tailpipe."
GM recently lost its title as the world's top auto seller, after Toyota sold more vehicles worldwide in the first quarter.
Analysts attributed Toyota's success to a focus on reliable, eco-friendly cars. GM, on the other hand, has struggled to increase profit with job cuts and plant closures, as high fuel prices drove motorists away from gas-guzzling vehicles.
But GM hopes its HydroGen3 technology will lead to organizations and businesses using fleets of its zero-emission vehicles.
"You'll see them first, because fleets have centralized refueling," said Goldstein.
"So the vehicles come back to a central point each night to be refueled because one of the challenges is infrastructure. Where do you refuel with hydrogen?"
By 2010, GM expects HydroGen3 cars will be widely used by consumers.
As for the price, the company says the eco-friendly cars will cost roughly the same amount of equivalent gas or hybrid vehicles.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Mike Killeen
