Will Hydrogen Powered Cars Ever Surpass Battery-Electric Vehicles,
Or Are They Doomed to Fail? – Search Images (bing.com)
Story by Rob Rich
The race between Hydrogen fuel cells — and hydrogen-powered engines — and battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) used to be as neck-and-neck as HD-DVDs and Blu-ray discs. While hydrogen power hasn’t dissolved like the ill-fated media format, it has taken
a backseat as BEVs and hybrid vehicles eat up most of the spotlight.
At this point, do hydrogen-based vehicle power alternatives still have a chance at a comeback? And if they do, could they leave BEVs in the dust? It seems like that scenario isn’t entirely out of the question, but there are a lot of factors at play.
SlashGear spoke with Professor Laine Mears, Department Chair of Automotive Engineering at Clemson University — part of the International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus in Greenville, SC. We sent several questions about hydrogen- and battery-powered vehicles (past, present, and potential future), and offered his expertise.
Mears has been part of the faculty at CU-ICAR since 2006, teaching students
about model analysis and multiple facets of automotive and automation manufacturing. He is researching processing control for materials that are difficult to machine, model-based control for processes and systems in manufacturing, and the development of new novel processing techniques for electrically-assisted manufacturing along with metal injection molding.
Read more: How To Clean Your Car’s Engine Bay: A Step-By-Step Guide
Refueling car at hydrogen station© Literator/Shutterstock
Why Are Hydrogen Cars Still A Thing?
While EVs are far more prevalent, hydrogen-powered vehicles haven’t stopped existing just yet. Professor Mears notes that several companies initially started working
on hydrogen fuel solutions before the spike in EV (and by extension, hybrid) interest.
And while most of those designs were shelved, they weren’t thrown out, so it’s not unreasonable to think they could be revisited.
Related video: Electric Car Battery 101: Longevity, Costs,
and Maintenance Demystified (Money Talks News).
Mears also points out that U.S. drivers being less inclined to initially spend more to save (both on fuel costs and emissions) in the long term might be putting hydrogen power back on the table, along with the manufacturing and materials costs of EVs. It’s an environment that would likely benefit from having more than one alternative for fossil fuels.
“The prevailing wisdom now is that the ‘green’ transition will encompass a diversity of platforms as markets and consumer sentiment evolves,” Mears explains, “and hydrogen-fueled cars will be part of that solution.”
Trucks behind hydrogen fueling station© Scharfsinn86/Getty Images
Are There Some Sectors Where Hydrogen Vehicles More Preferable Over BEVs,
And Could They Keep the Tech Alive?
Hydrogen-based fuel alternatives could very well become as much a part of the commercial market as EVs, and hybrids are. However, according to Mears, there are two main hurdles the technology needs to clear (and is already in the process of dealing with) before that can happen: Fuel availability and general safety.
“Safety is being addressed well through tank designs and redundant systems,
so, hydrogen vehicles should have similar crash concerns as other vehicles,” notes Mears. So, safety is less of an overall issue for hydrogen power, but fuel is still a bit of a sticking point due to hydrogen primarily (but not exclusively) needing to be created through other energy sources rather than mined like the core components of gasoline.
“In order for widespread adoption to work, investment in broad infrastructure would be needed, both for generation and distribution,” explains Mears. “The US Department of Energy is starting to build the framework of such a solution through its Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program, where 6–10 pilot networks will be established to create and supply hydrogen for future decarbonization.”
EV charger with BEV in background© Fahroni/Getty Images
Is There An Edge Over BEVs In The General Automotive Market?
Both batteries and hydrogen are seen as proving the benefit of cleaner energy,
but the one area where Mears says BEVs are lacking is in the batteries themselves.
A combination of the materials needed to manufacture them and how complicated they can be to recycle, the weight they add to a vehicle, and a comparably limited range put them behind hydrogen in that regard. From a consumer standpoint, it’s got more to do with the charging time — because as Mears points out, “Hydrogen already has a head
start benefit of almost instant refueling at a stop as compared with even high-power supercharging of BEVs.”
That said, BEV technology has continued to change and grow. To the point that Professor Mears doesn’t believe hydrogen will have that charging speed advantage for much longer. “…there are a lot of smart people working on these issues, and I expect to see a disruptive battery technology hit the market in the next 5 years that may change the segmentation rapidly,” Mears says.
Infrastructure is also a major factor to consider, and while the Federal government
does offer a hydrogen hub program, it’s also investing in electrical charging with the DOE’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. Professor Mears points out that, despite the roughly $5 billion in funding going to a BEV charging network, “whether the national grid system can handle it is another concern.”
Gas station fuel pumps © Solstock/Getty Images
Would It Have Been Better for Hydrogen Cars Won Over BEVs?
While the competition between BEVs and hydrogen fuel vehicles isn’t quite finished, and hydrogen has an opportunity to close the gap, it’s difficult to know whether things would have been better if hydrogen pulled ahead first, especially since both technologies are still being refined.
“BEVs looked like the silver bullet that would slay emissions and carbon buildup in one shot, but once the reality of material availability (e.g., lithium, cobalt, and nickel), national electric grid capacity, the cost of supporting infrastructure, and consumer hesitation set in, manufacturers which had announced grand investments were suddenly backpedaling and opening their minds up to alternative platforms (which also includes traditional internal combustion engines, which are not going away anytime soon),” Mears adds.
And really, that’s the crux of the challenge for both BEVs and hydrogen-fueled vehicles. Internal combustion engines are so entrenched that investments needed to move away from them tend to be discouraging. “Displacing ICE vehicles (which work really well for the market needs) will require investment and good communication about the benefit and motivation to drive consumer adoption,” Mears notes.
Hydrogen fuel cell public buses © Scharfsinn/Shutterstock
Is Hydrogen Tech Better Suited for Public Transportation Than BEVs?
Or Is There a Different Reason Many Cities Invest in Hydrogen-Powered Buses?
As Mears points out, in the case of both hydrogen fuel and BEVs, viability boils down
to infrastructure. Gas stations are ubiquitous across most of the U.S. and for either alternative to become a true replacement, we’d need a similar level of “every corner” availability.
Mears believes public transportation — particularly having a more centralized space for entire fleets of vehicles to return to each day for refueling — may be the more reasonable recipient market for such a change. “Charging is a key barrier there,” Mears states,
“and a centralized hydrogen supply may have an advantage.”
Right now, it’s difficult to predict which possible gas alternative will come out on top.
Even other outlier alternatives like alcohol have potential, according to Mears, who explains that these kinds of “dark horse” technologies, “could also take the market by surprise – these are more readily sourced, with control strategies and engine design considerations now under study that could make them a competitive technology
for such fleet applications.” Read the original article on SlashGear
Debunking The Myths: Why You Shouldn’t Fear Hydrogen-Powered Cars
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The hydrogen cars of the past and present (msn.com)
While electric cars have been grabbing headlines in recent years for their zero-emission capabilities, hydrogen-powered cars have quietly but steadily made their presence known. These are powered by hydrogen fuel-cell stacks which produce electricity, allowing them
to travel great distances with zero emissions. Hydrogen cars have been widely stigmatized despite their advantages due to inaccurate and misleading statements about the technology and lack of infrastructure. At this point, when the world is looking for
ways to go green, many people continue to express their doubts about hydrogen cars.
For some, the thought of driving a fuel-cell-powered vehicle is very intimidating.
With only about 15,000 hydrogen-powered cars currently on U.S. roads – all in California – they remain rare compared to an estimated 2.5 million electric cars sold in the U.S. since 2015. While some of these hydrogen myths are understandable—mostly due to the lack of information on the matter—let’s take a moment to dig a bit deeper and unearth the truth behind these hydrogen-powered cars.
Related: Why Hydrogen Cars Are Better Than Electric Cars
Why It’s Safe to Drive a Hydrogen-powered Car.
A hydrogen fuel-cell car works similarly to an electric car.
It operates by an electric motor powered by a fuel-cell stack, where pure hydrogen is mixed with oxygen from the air to generate electricity. This process produces water vapor as a byproduct, making them an environmentally friendly option.
Unlike gasoline-powered vehicles, HFCVs produce no emissions of harmful pollutants and have a relatively short refueling time, just five minutes, compared to the longer charging time typically required for electric cars.
Three hydrogen cars are currently available for sale: the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell,
the Hyundai Nexo SUV, and the Toyota Mirai Hydrogen. Honda has ended production
of all models of the Clarity, while the Nexo has sold fewer than 1,500 SUVs.
Meanwhile, Toyota has sold around 10,700 Toyota Mirai Hydrogen sedans across
two generations in the U.S. but had to resort to substantial discounting to move them.
The main issue people have with hydrogen cars is that they fear the risk of hydrogen
explosions due to the flammable nature of the gas.
Related video: Hydrogen-powered Train Breaks World Record (Interesting Engineering) – Search (bing.com)However, this is a myth because hydrogen needs a spark from a flame or an electrical spark to ignite and create an explosion. Vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells are much safer than traditional gas-powered cars, and manufacturers have worked hard to ensure they remain this way as technology advances. When it comes to hydrogen-powered cars, they are fitted with special shielding to prevent any ignition in case of a leak, and hydrogen safety regulations require these cars to be over-pressurized, so the gas cannot escape. The high-pressure tanks are tailored to survive even the highest-speed crashes without leaking or breaching, and no injuries or deaths related to the hydrogen components have been recorded. Hydrogen cars are safer than traditional cars because they produce significantly fewer emissions. Furthermore, hydrogen fuel stations have redundant safety systems in place, like over-pressurization and explosion-proof technology, to make sure that it’s nearly impossible for an HFCV to overcharge.
Related: Toyota’s Upcoming Hydrogen-Powered 5.0 V-8 Engine Has The Potential To Bury EVs
Can Hydrogen Cars Blow Up?
Another major myth related to hydrogen cars is that they are prone to blow up. As already stated, hydrogen requires a spark to ignite, so there is little chance of the car exploding. Leading brands like Hyundai have already launched hydrogen-powered cars such as the Nexo SUV that have passed stringent hydrogen safety tests. Similarly, Toyota’s hydrogen fuel-cell car, the Toyota Mirai Hydrogen car, has also passed safety tests. Therefore, if a hydrogen-powered car ever gets into trouble—such as a fuel leak—the car’s onboard systems will intervene and shut off the fuel supply completely until the problem is fixed. Hydrogen skeptics usually cite the Hindenburg explosion of 1937 as a reason to fear hydrogen fuel-cell cars. Still, the reality is that the hydrogen tanks and their hardware guarantee much safety.
So, it’s clear that hydrogen-powered cars’ chances of exploding are extremely low.
Related: Here’s What Needs To Happen For Hydrogen Cars To Take Off
Why You Should Set Your Anxiety Aside Embrace Hydrogen-powered Cars
Another myth that experts have widely debunked is that Hydrogen Is energy inefficient. For electricity to be used in a battery-powered car, it must be harvested in the same country it is used in. On the other hand, hydrogen can be harvested in sunny regions such as the Middle East and North Africa, where generating two to two-and-a-half times more electricity from each square meter of the solar panel is possible.
When the energy efficiency of fuel cells and the higher efficiency in harvesting solar power are combined, it becomes possible to transport a fuel-cell truck for the same distance as a battery-powered truck, given that the former’s energy is generated with a solar panel of the same size. The current hydrogen cost seems quite high compared to other emissions-free energy sources.
However, this does not necessarily mean that expensive hydrogen will remain a permanent fixture of the energy market. As the production of electrolyzers accelerates and the cost of harvesting solar power in sunnier regions becomes lower due to economies of scale, hydrogen will likely become a more cost-effective alternative in the near future. Additionally, it’s a myth that hydrogen infrastructure is too expensive. Investment is needed to build a hydrogen infrastructure, especially compared to battery-powered cars, which use existing infrastructure. However, even though investing in one infrastructure may seem more attractive, it is more expensive than investing in two. As the number of zero-emission vehicles increases, it will be costly to constantly expand the infrastructure for one technology but much cheaper to build two infrastructures up to a medium volume.
Moreover, some people believe hydrogen is just a pet project of the big industry.
It could not be further from the truth. Major companies such as Daimler Truck are investing heavily in hydrogen technology and are investing in production facilities and rigorous testing of the technology. It demonstrates their commitment to producing strong, zero-emission vehicles that can push humankind toward a greener future.
Related: Why Toyota’s Slow Transition To Electric Vehicles Is A Good Thing
You Should Not Be Intimidated Since Hydrogen Cars Are Here to Stay
By now, you should have a much better idea about the various hydrogen myths related to hydrogen cars and why you shouldn’t fear them. While the hydrogen-powered vehicles currently available may not be the best option for everyone, these vehicles are quite safe and dependable, with top-notch safety features. The performance of hydrogen fuel-cell cars is very similar to that of a battery-electric car. A fuel-cell car has no transmission, including regenerative braking, to recapture wasted energy as it slows down.
The Toyota Mirai, for example, comes with a 120-horsepower fuel cell, which is enough power to accelerate onto the highways. It also features a low-capacity battery, which supplies extra power for short periods of intense acceleration, and it’s recharged from either fuel-cell output or regenerative braking.
Like other fuels, hydrogen fuel is a specialized commodity for the public, so the few hydrogen stations tend to charge high prices. To cover the same distance as a gallon of gasoline, you’d have to spend between $5 to $8.50 for a kilogram of hydrogen. To offset this disadvantage, automakers such as Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota have all offered their lessees and buyers free hydrogen fuel for various periods. With more infrastructure coming up and more incentives from car manufacturers, hydrogen cars are poised to be a great option for drivers in the future. By 2030, E.V. cars are predicted to be the dominant force, but hydrogen cars will still be a viable alternative for many…
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Computerworldhttps://www.computerworld.com/article/1484385
Here’s why hydrogen-fueled cars aren’t little Hindenburg’s
WEB Nov 26, 2014
Hydrogen is explosive, but supply is a bigger issue for the nascent industry.
Will hydrogen overtake batteries in the race for zero-emission cars?
Credit: Honda. For all the volatility of a gas like hydrogen…
WEB Feb 13, 2024
He placed hydrogen for cars in “the row of doom”,
with very little chance of even a niche market.
Can hydrogen overtake batteries in cars?
“The answer is no,” said … Author: Jasper Jolly
EXPLORE FURTHER:
Why Are 3 Automakers Still Hyping Hydrogen Fuel Cell …
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autocar.co.uk
WEB The fact is that the risk of explosion in hydrogen cars and other vehicles.
Why don’t we hear about hydrogen cars exploding all the time?
https://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/why-don’t-we-hear…
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