Mercedes Mullins
Electric cars are widely regarded as the future of the automotive industry, with an increasing number of electric vehicles (EVs) entering the market. However, some manufacturers are also experimenting with hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), which use hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity and power the vehicle's motor. Hydrogen fuel cells have been praised for their quick refuelling times and long driving ranges, but they have also faced criticism due to their high fuel costs and limited refuelling infrastructure. This has led to concerns about their practicality and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional electric vehicles, which rely solely on battery power. Despite these challenges, some major automotive brands, such as Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai, have introduced hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to the market, indicating a potential future for this alternative fuel technology.
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What You'll Learn
Hydrogen fuel cells are a flawed concept
Secondly, the cost of building a hydrogen infrastructure to replace petroleum and natural gas is estimated to be a staggering $200 trillion. In contrast, the cost of a smart electric grid is significantly lower, ranging from $338 billion to $476 billion, and would bring about substantial economic benefits. Additionally, electric cars are much more cost-effective to fuel, with a $0.75/gallon equivalent compared to $4.50/gallon for hydrogen. While the Department of Energy predicts that this cost may decrease to $3.75/gallon by 2020, it still pales in comparison to the cost of fueling electric vehicles.
Furthermore, as of 2020, there was limited hydrogen infrastructure, with fewer than fifty hydrogen fueling stations publicly available in the US. The lack of infrastructure is a significant obstacle for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to overcome, and the estimated cost of building new infrastructure is approximately $400 billion. This limited infrastructure also affects the practicality of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. In 2009, the US Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, stated that hydrogen vehicles would not be practical over the next 10 to 20 years. While he later retracted this statement in 2012, citing improvements in hydrogen reforming technologies and falling natural gas prices, the lack of infrastructure remains a concern.
Lastly, hydrogen fuel cells face competition from battery electric technology, which is a cheaper and more accessible solution for the majority of the car, bus, and light-truck market. Volkswagen, for instance, has stated that "in the case of the passenger car, everything speaks in favour of the battery and practically nothing speaks in favour of hydrogen." This sentiment is echoed by other automotive manufacturers, who are investing heavily in electric vehicles and battery technology.
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Hydrogen cars are expensive to buy
Electric cars are vehicles that use a fuel cell, sometimes in combination with a small battery or supercapacitor, to power their onboard electric motor. They are widely considered a cleaner alternative to gasoline- or diesel-powered cars in terms of harmful air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Hydrogen cars, on the other hand, are a type of electric vehicle that uses hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity. Hydrogen cars have been touted as the future of passenger cars, as they produce zero carbon emissions from their exhaust. However, one of the main drawbacks of hydrogen cars is their high cost.
Firstly, hydrogen cars tend to be more expensive to purchase than their electric counterparts. The two mainstream hydrogen cars on sale in the US, the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai Nexo, start at around $50,000 and $60,000, respectively. In comparison, electric vehicles (EVs) are cheaper and have become increasingly affordable, with a variety of models available at different price points.
Secondly, the cost of fuelling hydrogen cars is significantly higher than that of electric vehicles. The price of hydrogen fuel has been known to fluctuate and can be quite expensive. Additionally, the process of extracting hydrogen from natural gas creates carbon dioxide as a byproduct, which can further increase costs if carbon capture systems are employed to mitigate these emissions.
Moreover, the infrastructure required for hydrogen fuelling stations is costly to develop and implement. As of 2020, there was limited hydrogen infrastructure in the US, with fewer than fifty hydrogen fuelling stations publicly available. This lack of infrastructure can make it inconvenient and costly for hydrogen car owners to refuel their vehicles.
Finally, hydrogen cars may also face higher maintenance and servicing costs due to the specialised nature of their fuel cell technology. The cost of replacing or repairing fuel cells and other hydrogen-specific components can be substantial, further contributing to the overall expense of owning a hydrogen car.
In conclusion, while hydrogen cars offer certain advantages, such as zero carbon emissions and quick refuelling times, they are currently more expensive to buy and maintain than electric vehicles. As a result, electric vehicles have gained more widespread adoption and continue to be the preferred choice for many consumers and automakers.
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Hydrogen fuel cells are inefficient
Secondly, the hydrogen fuel cell technology itself is inherently less efficient than battery-electric drivetrains. In a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the process of recombining hydrogen and oxygen to produce water and generate electricity results in a significant loss of energy, with some sources estimating a loss of up to 50%. In contrast, a battery-electric vehicle typically wastes only around 5% of energy during charging. This difference in efficiency is further exacerbated when considering the entire power-to-vehicle-drive energy chain, where hydrogen fuel cells require twice as much energy as electric vehicles.
Additionally, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles face infrastructure challenges that impact their efficiency. As of 2020, there was limited hydrogen infrastructure, with fewer than 50 hydrogen fueling stations publicly available in the US. The development of new infrastructure specifically for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is estimated to cost up to $400 billion, further highlighting the inefficiency of investing in this technology over more widely adopted electric vehicle solutions.
The inefficiencies of hydrogen fuel cells have been recognized by several automotive manufacturers, who have expressed preference for battery-electric technology. Volkswagen, for example, stated that "everything speaks in favour of the battery and practically nothing speaks in favour of hydrogen." Similarly, BMW acknowledged the lower efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells, noting that their overall efficiency is only half the level of electric vehicles.
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Hydrogen fuel cells are not widely available
The limited availability of hydrogen-fueled vehicles is due to the high cost of fuel cells and the limited availability of hydrogen fueling stations. People are less likely to buy hydrogen-fueled vehicles if hydrogen refueling stations are not easily accessible, and companies won't build refueling stations if there is no demand from customers with hydrogen-fueled vehicles.
In 2020, there were fewer than fifty hydrogen fueling stations for automobiles publicly available in the U.S. The State of California has attempted to address this issue by providing assistance for establishing publicly accessible hydrogen vehicle fueling stations throughout the state to promote a consumer market for zero-emission fuel cell vehicles. However, using hydrogen in existing natural gas infrastructure poses challenges related to materials compatibility and combustion characteristics.
In addition to the infrastructure challenges, hydrogen fuel cells face competition from electric vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries. Electric vehicles are more energy-efficient than hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which require double the amount of energy. Electric vehicles are also more economical, as they have lower costs and higher energy efficiency.
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Hydrogen fuel cells are difficult to refuel
The lack of infrastructure is a result of the chicken-and-egg problem: the infrastructure will not spread much farther until fuel-cell vehicles become available in significant numbers and a market price for hydrogen is established. This, in turn, is difficult because of the lack of infrastructure.
The process of refuelling a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is not overly complicated. It is similar to filling up a normal car, although it does involve a few more steps. However, before being allowed to refuel a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, journalists from Car and Driver had to undergo a two-hour, engineer-led training session. This session included a briefing on the location of all hydrogen refuelling stations in Southern California, the pump pressure offered at each, and a walk-around of the Equinox fuel cell.
The current price at the pump for hydrogen gas is between $13 and $16 per kilogram, although one pump quoted a price of $5 per kilogram. However, it is difficult to estimate the future cost of pump hydrogen with any accuracy.
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Frequently asked questions
A fuel cell vehicle (FCV) or fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) is an electric vehicle that uses a fuel cell, sometimes in combination with a small battery or supercapacitor, to power its onboard electric motor.
Fuel cells in vehicles generate electricity using oxygen from the air and compressed hydrogen. The hydrogen fuel cell strips the proton and electron of a hydrogen atom apart, allowing the electron to become electricity that runs the car's motor. The proton becomes a hydrogen ion and will bond with any oxygen atoms to form water.
Fuel cell vehicles are considered zero-emissions vehicles, as they do not produce any pollution at the tailpipe. They are also quick to refuel, taking only a couple of minutes, and can achieve hundreds of miles between fill-ups.
Fuel cell vehicles are very expensive to buy. They also have poor charging infrastructure and are not as efficient as batteries.
Electric vehicles are currently more popular among the public and are pouring onto the market at a blistering rate. Fuel cell vehicles are still in the process of being developed and tested, and it will be a few years until they are widely available to customers.
