Aren't hydrogen powered cars going to be the next big thing?
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Aren't hydrogen powered cars going to be the next big thing? |
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Not likely - the recent promotion of hydrogen technology by automakers is most likely a diversionary tactic, aka "greenwashing". There are some fundamental problems with hydrogen which automakers must surely be aware of, but they hope the public are not. The main problem with hydrogen is that it must be produced, so it can't be considered anything more than an energy storage medium. The production of hydrogen by electrolysis of water is in the order of 50% efficient, whereas charging an electric battery is better than 90% efficient. Furthermore it is very difficult to store hydrogen, requiring very high pressure containment - potentially very dangerous in a crash. Hydrogen can be used in fuel cells to generate electricity (serving the role of a battery), but fuel cells require platinum electrodes which are prohibitively expensive. Alternatively, hydrogen can be used as a fuel in internal combusion engines, but then (as with petroleum) it is extremely inefficient - something like 20-30%. The final problem with hydrogen is that widespread adoption would require a distribution network, like we currently have for petrol. This is a multi-billion dollar prospect, and doesn't look like happening anytime soon. Alec N Brooks from AC Propulsion has written a great article discussing the shortcomings of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Read it here. |
