Automakers Launch Hydrogen Cars

[Li Tan]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=automakers-launch-hydrogen-cars

"Today, right here, the hydrogen fuel cell is making the shift from a research project to a real consumer choice," Krafcik said.

The cars, which make electricity from a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, do not emit greenhouse gases. Hyundai executives said that when looking at a life-cycle analysis, they are cleaner than "any other powertrain vehicle," including battery electric cars.

The Hyundai FCEV, which is an SUV, will go about 300 miles on a tank, O'Brien said. Right now, refueling the cars costs slightly less per gallon than the price for gasoline, he said. That could come down as the market expands and there's competition, he said.

 

[ZombiesRUCrazy]

This is great, but i do wonder what the oil companies will do to try to stall/kill this.

 

[Plainview]

The problem with hydrogen has always been transporting and storing it.

 

[Li Tan]

This is great, but i do wonder what the oil companies will do to try to stall/kill this.

They won't be putting all their eggs in one basket and banking on being able to kill every threat. Sure, they will try, but at the same time, they are likely trying to get in and get established and entrenched in the H game and all the other energy games too.

 

[Ape Still Rules]

I love the hydrogen cell car. This is forward thinking unlike the ridiculous battery powered car.

 

[Jarrod]

Hydrogen cars will never become popular. The biggest issue is you have to find a fueling station nearest to you.

 

[Li Tan]

Hydrogen cars will never become popular. The biggest issue is you have to find a fueling station nearest to you.

What did people do before regular gas stations became commonplace?
I do see the paradox, but it's hardly impossible. Especially if hydrogen works out to be cheaper. I kind of think it might be better for them to target commercial vehicles, like buses, taxis, truck fleets, people who see immediate tangible benefits from even 10c per litre savings and who don't just roll up to regular gas stations anyway.

Ape, while batteries still have a ways to go, do you not think with advancements in technology, battery might be the way to go in the near but not immediate future?

 

[XBoxNeo]

Hydrogen is just the storage mechanism. These cars actually run off of coal or nuclear, which are both far worse than petroleum imo.

 

[ZombiesRUCrazy]

I love the hydrogen cell car. This is forward thinking unlike the ridiculous battery powered car.

The tesla is awesome though

250 miles on a charge isnt bad, but the lack of innovation in batteries is holding all electric cars back.

Have you heard of graphene? that's the future of batteries.



Graphene super capacitors are insanely awesome. Better and more efficient then batteries AND the are organic carbon based.

 

[BraddersTheDog]

Hydrogen is just the storage mechanism. These cars actually run off of coal or nuclear, which are both far worse than petroleum imo.

Currently yes. But if I understand things correctly, electrolysis can be used to produce hydrogen (although electrolysis requires electricity which requires a fuel source..).

 

[Li Tan]

Hydrogen is just the storage mechanism. These cars actually run off of coal or nuclear, which are both far worse than petroleum imo.

I'm with you on coal, but not nuclear. That said, producing electricity for storage, even through coal, can be more environmentally sound than petroleum because they can have the generators running optimally at all times, as opposed to a car engine which is up and down all the time and often not really efficiently generating the most power for the fuel used.

Outside of that, not everywhere uses coal or nuclear power. In New Zealand, our electricity is around 70% renewable. Hydro electric, geothermal etc. This hydrogen car testing program is going on in California, which is a good start. According to Wikipedia:

California is a leading state and around 20 percent of California's electricity comes from renewable sources.[17]
The United States has some of the best renewable energy resources in the world, which have the potential to meet a rising and significant share of the nation's energy demand. A quarter of the U.S. land area has winds strong enough to generate electricity at the same price as natural gas and coal.[18]

Many of the new technologies that harness renewables — including wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels — are, or soon will be, economically competitive with the fossil fuels that meet 85 percent of U.S. energy needs. Dynamic growth rates are driving down costs and spurring rapid advances in technologies.[18]

 

[sharkboy1200]

In New Zealand....

You moved to New Zealand? I know it's ridiculously off course from the subject, but for some reason, this came as a huge shocker to me.

 

[Videodrome]

Hydrogen?

Fuk yeah

 

[Li Tan]

You moved to New Zealand? I know it's ridiculously off course from the subject, but for some reason, this came as a huge shocker to me.

No, I'm a New Zealander. Ive been based in China for the past 9 years, but I still consider NZ to be home.
I probably will move back there one day.

 

[sharkboy1200]

No, I'm a New Zealander. Ive been based in China for the past 9 years, but I still consider NZ to be home.
I probably will move back there one day.

Whoa... I always thought you were pure Asian. Turns out that was huge lie. My whole world just got rocked.

 

[Li Tan]

I'm half-Asian, but I grew up in a western household speaking English and generally being a NZer with some slight Asian influences.
Despite my mixed blood I'm not treated as a local here.

 

[sharkboy1200]

Racism?

 

[Kassen]

The problem with hydrogen has always been transporting and storing it.

Is that really true? I figured it would be no different than storing natural gas. Is hydrogen one of those gases that doesn't like to be compress?

 

[Li Tan]

Racism?

Not exactly, although there is plenty of racism here, just as there is pretty much everywhere.
I don't think Chinese are wrong to see me as a foreigner. Is Jerry Seinfeld an Israeli? Michael Jordan Kenyan?

 

[Li Tan]

Is that really true? I figured it would be no different than storing natural gas. Is hydrogen one of those gases that doesn't like to be compress?

It's obviously a solvable problem, since they are already talking about filling stations. It might be tricky or expensive up front, but the industry filled with engineers, scientists, financial advisors and feasibility analysts is obviously not writing it off as an impossibility. I defer to their expertise.

 

[Videodrome]

Hydrogen Atoms are the smallest. Just one Proton and one Electron. I think it's literally because of this Hydrogen could seep through any slightly porous material.