TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Components: A housing (44) encloses the hydrogen storage components. A control system (20) regulates the storing and retrieval of hydrogen from the storage component. The hydrogen storage component includes a porous silicon surface layer over at least a first portion of the hydrogen storage component. The percent void volume of the surface layer is 50 %. A second portion of the hydrogen storage component includes electronic integrated circuit elements. The hydrogen storage component includes silicon columns having an aspect ratio of length to diameter of at least 10. The silicon columns have been formed by extrusion of molten silicon through an orifice. The orifice has a diameter of 1 nm. It is formed in a shape of a triangle, rhombus, square or circle. Light, current and/or voltage release the stored hydrogen from the storage component. The light is provided by a light-emitting diode at a wavelength of 660 nm. The hydrogen storage component is formed from a silicon wafer. The silicon may be derived from molten silicon by crystallization or from silicon waste from the integrated circuit industry. The fuel cell system consists of solid oxide fuel cell system and proton exchange membrane system. The hydrogen storage components are distributed into various locations, e.g. floors, fenders, quarter panels, rocker panels, doors, columns, posts, trunk, and/or roof, within the vehicle.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Materials: The hydrogen storage component includes porous silicon. The extrusion is carried out in an atmosphere of hydrogen, argon, helium, or neon. The silicon may be in a monocrystalline or polycrystalline form. The silicon has been treated by crushing, milling, treatment with hydrofluoric acid and methanol in the presence of electric current, treatment with potassium hydroxide, treatment with hydrazine, wet etching, dry etching, electrodeposition of a noble metal, e.g. palladium or platinum, conformal vapor deposition of silicon, or non-conformation vapor deposition of silicon.