










Comments     Threshold


RE: Isn't a hydrogen car basically an electric car?
By TomZ on 10/21/2009 1:49:33 PM , Rating: 2
While of course the success of hydrogen fuel cells will be largely based on its economic viability, I don't think that the cost of the fuel itself is a primary consideration. Rather, the cost and time to develop hydrogen-generating and distribution infrastructure is the problem. But maybe that's what you meant...?

By Keeir on 10/21/2009 3:25:12 PM , Rating: 2

the Cost of the "Fuel" is also a principle concern. Hydrogen is an energy carrier. Unless the process to create Hydrogen and distrubite the Hydrogen is more than 85% energy efficient, it seems that on a per engery unit basis, Hydrogen will be more expensive that electricity. So Hydrogen cars must be significantly cheaper than electric cars....

By randomly on 10/21/2009 5:30:56 PM , Rating: 2
I mean exactly that the cost of the fuel is too high.

Currently hydrogen can be produced by reforming natural gas at around 80% efficiency. However this is of no use since the overall well to wheels fuel cycle of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is less efficient than a simple diesel hybrid car, and the CO2 generated is worse. Even including projected fuel cell advances to the year 2020. Increased costs with no benefit.

Economically it just doesn't add up. The proof is in where companies are putting serious money, and it's not in hydrogen.
The other way to produce hydrogen is using electricity to produce hydrogen from water using an electrolyzer. This is actually considerably more expensive since electrolyzers are only about 50% efficient and the cost of electrical power is much higher than fossil fuel energy sources. In virtually all cases there are better places to use that electrical power than making hydrogen fuel, at least until you've replaced all fossil fuel power generation.
Starting from an electrical power source Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are only about 25% as efficient as battery powered, to power an equivalent vehicle you must generate 4 times the energy for fuel cells vs batteries.

