SGL is working on the fundamentals for economically efficient industrial-scale production of carbon components for a PEM fuel cell system. Key issues are low-cost materials and production techniques for gas diffusion electrodes and bipolar plates as well as a simplified stack construction without complex cooling and lighting systems and with noncompressed air. Further aspects are consequent abandoning of halogentated polymer electrolyte membranes and the use of alternative polymer systems developed in the course of the Hoechst fuel cell project. Components will be developed from 2kW and 12 kW to a 50 kW prototype stack. The present partial report goes into the problem of gas diffusion layers which have to fulfill several different functions...