Are Hydrogen Cars the Future? Maybe, But Not Necessarily, Although They Solve Two Big EV Problems.
“The MacMaster” investigates hydrogen cars, which readers keep telling him are the future:
The discussion is interesting, as the 2019 Toyota model Lee ends up driving is really an EV powered by a fuel cell that operates on hydrogen. It has 400 miles of range and only takes five minutes to refuel, which conquers two of the biggest obstacles to EVs.
Lee’s friend says the verdict is still out on hydrogen cars and notes there are versions that operate using a hydrogen engine similar to a gas-powered vehicle. He says the biggest problem is the lack of refueling stations at the moment. But he likes the fact the only emission is water.
I disagree on the latter point, though, because his argument: (1) passively and wrongly assumes CO2 emissions are a threat, and (2) the hydrogen, as a practical matter, can only be made from natural gas, green hydrogen largely being a fantasy. Yes, there are other emissions that are avoided in addition to CO2, but those have mostly been reduced. And, green hydrogen is possible, but too complicated and expensive. Moreover, if we’re going to make the hydrogen from natural gas, why not just go CNG, LNG, or propane and eliminate the middleman? Propane isn't hard to find, after all.
Enjoy!
#Toyota #EVs #Hydrogen #NaturalGas #MacMaster #Electric #Propane #CNG #LNG
Correct -CO2 is not a problem. H is very hard to transport as it is such a small molecule it finds every leak in a system. To retool our gas stations to handle H is alone an uneconomical task. But why try to step in with another technology that is not as effective as gasoline and diesel? If we get the lobbyists benefits out of the back pocket of politicians we would see less of these dreams.
Hydrogen cars being the future? I'll believe it when I see it. Too expensive.