A direct hydrocarbon fuel cell device pertaining direct electro-oxidation of hydrocarbon fuels at the anode, which is separated electronically from the cell cathode by an alkaline medium, together with a fuel container, fuel delivery, and reaction product releasing system is disclosed. The fuel cell is constructed in such a manner that highly concentrated fuel is added to the cell anode chamber and transformed into fuel vapor through a fuel vapor permeable membrane before the fuel reaches the cell anode. At the cell anode, the hydrocarbon fuel is consumed and at the cell cathode oxygen reduction takes place, and water as one of the fuel cell reaction products is evaporated off at cell cathode so that there is no need for recirculation of unreacted fuel at the cell anode or water at the cell cathode. Compared to the prior art, the present invention for a direct hydrocarbon fuel cell is more suitable for portable electronics applications by maximizing the energy content in the fuel package, optimizing the fuel cell performance while minimizing the control system complexity, and lowering the cost by using non-noble metal based catalysts while achieving the needed fuel cell performance and conversion efficiency.