Recently, DBFCs that rival proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in peak power but operating at double the voltage have been reported.
DBFCs could be produced more cheaply than a traditional fuel cell because they do not need expensive platinum catalysts.
The high operating voltage of a DBFC reduces the number of cells (in a series circuit) needed in a stack to achieve a desired rated voltage and thus reduces the stack costs considerably.
[3] Unfortunately, DBFCs do produce some hydrogen from a side reaction of NaBH4 with water heated by the fuel cell.
As of June 30, 2010, many patents claiming to effectively achieve the conversion of sodium metaborate to sodium borohydride have been investigated but none have been confirmed—the current efficiency of "boron hydride recycling" seems to be well below 1% which is unsuitable for recharging a vehicle.