What is the purpose for using fuel cell technology for automobiles?

Fuel cells are basically an extension of electric cars. As opposed to a regular plug-in electric car, a fuel cell is refilled with fuel (hydrogen seems popular) to recharge the car's battery pack, as opposed to plugging the car in to recharge it. Basically, plug-in electric cars have the disadvantage of long recharge times. Whereas on a gasoline-powered car the "recharging" is as simple as spending a few minutes filling the tank with gas, plug-in electric cars have to stop and be plugged in for about 12 hours. This makes a plug-in electric vehicle utterly useless for anything but short-range commuting, and completely rules out the possibility of long-distance driving. However, with a fuel cell, one can have an electrically-powered car that can be quickly refilled at a station, just as with a gasoline powered car. Think of it as the best of both worlds.....something that is actually viable for mainstream motorists.