Ameer Randolph
Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (HFCVs) are powered by an electric motor and are therefore classified as e-cars. They are fuelled by pure hydrogen gas, stored in a tank on the vehicle. The hydrogen passes through a membrane to combine with oxygen from the air, producing electricity to turn the wheels, as well as heat and
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of vehicle | Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle (HFCV) |
| Fuel | Hydrogen gas (H2) |
| Fuel storage | One or more tanks in the car |
| Fueling time | Around 5 minutes |
| Driving range | More than 300 miles |
| Fuel cost | €14 per kilogram (as of 2023) |
| Fuel efficiency | 100km per kilogram of hydrogen |
| Energy source | Fossil fuels (e.g. natural gas) |
| Emissions | Water vapour, no harmful emissions |
| Energy recovery | Regenerative braking systems |
| Availability | Limited availability, select markets |
| Examples | Toyota Mirai, Hyundai Nexo, Honda Clarity |
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What You'll Learn
Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (HFCVs)
In HFCVs, hydrogen from the vehicle's tank combines with oxygen from the air in a fuel cell, creating an electrochemical reaction that produces electricity, heat, and water vapour. This electricity, along with energy from the battery, powers the car's electric motor, which runs silently and with zero pollutant or CO2 emissions. HFCVs also have the advantage of a shorter refuelling time compared to battery-electric cars, taking around five minutes to refuel for a range of 300 to 400 miles.
However, one of the main challenges facing HFCVs is the availability of hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen is currently mostly derived from fossil fuels, which has an adverse impact on the climate footprint of the vehicle. While hydrogen can also be produced through water electrolysis using renewable energy sources, this method is not yet widely used. Another drawback is the high cost of hydrogen production, making HFCVs more expensive than battery-electric vehicles.
Despite these challenges, HFCVs have the potential to be a more sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional gas-powered cars, with several countries investing in the development of hydrogen as a fuel source.
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Hydrogen as an energy carrier
Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (HFCVs) are powered by pure hydrogen (H2) passing through a membrane to combine with oxygen (O2) from the air, producing the electricity that turns the wheels, as well as water vapour. Hydrogen is an energy carrier, not a fuel or energy source, and can deliver or store a large amount of energy.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element on Earth, consisting of only one proton and one electron. It is not found in its pure state in nature and must be produced from compounds that contain it. Hydrogen can be produced from diverse, domestic resources, including renewable sources such as biomass, geothermal, solar, or wind. Most hydrogen today is derived from fossil fuels like natural gas, but electricity can also be used to produce hydrogen.
Hydrogen has many applications, including in petroleum refining and fertiliser production. Hydrogen and fuel cells can also be used for distributed or combined heat and power, backup power, systems for storing and enabling renewable energy, portable power, and auxiliary power for trucks, aircraft, rail, and ships. Hydrogen can be used to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and associated greenhouse gas emissions and localised air pollution from transportation.
Hydrogen vehicles include some road vehicles, rail vehicles, space rockets, forklifts, ships, and aircraft. Hydrogen burns cleaner than fuels such as gasoline or methane but is more difficult to store and transport due to the small size of its molecules. Hydrogen vehicles also benefit from a long range on a single refuelling but are subject to drawbacks, including high carbon emissions when produced from natural gas, high energy inputs in production and transportation, and the need for investment in refuelling infrastructure.
Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are related to electric cars but are much rarer. As of 2023, 3,143 hydrogen cars were sold in the US, compared to 380,000 battery-electric vehicles. Hydrogen vehicles are also more expensive, with the Toyota Mirai, the world's first mass-produced fuel-cell vehicle, selling for $69,000 in Japan.
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Hydrogen fuel production
Hydrogen fuel technology has the potential to drive sustainability and carbon reduction objectives in many industries. Hydrogen fuel can be produced through several methods, including natural gas reforming, electrolysis, solar-driven processes, and biological processes.
The most common methods today are natural gas reforming and electrolysis. Natural gas reforming is a thermal process that involves steam reforming, where high-temperature steam reacts with a hydrocarbon fuel to produce hydrogen. Many hydrocarbon fuels can be reformed to produce hydrogen, including natural gas, diesel, renewable liquid fuels, gasified coal, or gasified biomass. Today, about 95% of all hydrogen is produced from steam reforming of natural gas. Steam-methane reforming accounts for nearly all commercially produced hydrogen in the United States.
Electrolysis is another common method for producing hydrogen, where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. Electrolysis itself does not produce any byproducts or emissions other than hydrogen and oxygen. The electricity for electrolysis is currently provided by the electric power grid, which is supplied by a mix of renewable sources, nuclear energy, and fossil fuels. Electrolysis processes need to be more efficient, reliable, and safe for hydrogen production.
Solar-driven processes use light as the agent for hydrogen production, including photobiological, photoelectrochemical, and solar thermochemical processes. Photobiological processes use the natural photosynthetic activity of bacteria and green algae to produce hydrogen, while photoelectrochemical processes use specialized semiconductors to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen. Solar thermochemical hydrogen production uses concentrated solar power to drive water-splitting reactions.
Biological processes use microbes such as bacteria and microalgae to produce hydrogen through biological reactions. In microbial biomass conversion, microbes break down organic matter like biomass or wastewater to produce hydrogen.
The production of hydrogen fuel involves ensuring safe, precise, and efficient operations, as well as controlling the flow of hydrogen fuel at dispensing stations. The market demand for electrolyzers is growing as OEMs are asked to produce more hydrogen-based technology for green energy solutions. Hydrogen-enabled fueling stations are essential to the scalability of carbon-free technologies, but their safety and efficiency are critical to market growth.
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Hydrogen fuel tanks
The automotive industry predominantly utilises physical storage of hydrogen in the form of compressed hydrogen gas stored in high-pressure tanks. This method allows for sufficient hydrogen storage to enable long-distance travel between refuelling stops. Additionally, hydrogen fuel tanks are equipped with pressure relief devices to prevent excessive pressure build-up, enhancing safety.
While hydrogen fuel tanks offer the promise of sustainable transportation, there are challenges to their widespread adoption. Hydrogen is challenging to store and transport due to its small molecule size. It requires high-pressure tanks or cryogenic temperatures to maintain its gaseous or liquid state, respectively. Furthermore, leaked hydrogen is highly flammable and has a more substantial global warming effect than CO2.
Despite these challenges, hydrogen fuel tanks and the broader hydrogen fuel cell technology continue to evolve. Companies like Cryospain are developing innovative solutions for hydrogen storage, particularly for liquid hydrogen, which is crucial for long-distance heavy vehicles. Hydrogen fuel tanks play a pivotal role in the transition towards a more sustainable transportation sector, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
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Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles vs. electric vehicles
Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (HFCVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) are both zero-emission vehicles. However, HFCVs emit only water vapour, while EVs emit none. HFCVs use the same kind of electric motor to turn the wheels as EVs, but instead of a large, heavy battery, they are powered by a fuel-cell stack. Hydrogen is an energy carrier, and in an HFCV, it passes through a membrane to combine with oxygen from the air, producing electricity and water vapour.
HFCVs and EVs differ in several key ways. Firstly, in terms of driving range, hydrogen cars offer a better range of between 400 and 600 miles, compared to 150 to 375 miles for EVs. However, EVs are more energy-efficient, utilising around 80% of their total energy to power the vehicle. Additionally, EVs are more affordable than HFCVs, and there are more charging stations available for EVs. As of 2023, there were over 1000 hydrogen refueling stations globally, while EVs can take advantage of a vast, nationwide electrical system. The higher cost of HFCVs is partly due to the cost of hydrogen fuel, which is around 40% higher than the cost of gasoline and about 10% more than an EV.
Another key difference is the refueling time. Refueling an HFCV takes only 5 to 10 minutes, similar to refueling a traditional gasoline car, while EVs typically take 4 to 8 hours to fully charge. This gives HFCVs an advantage, particularly for long-haul trucking, where the driving range and recharging times of EVs may not be sufficient.
In terms of infrastructure, EVs currently have the advantage as they require less new infrastructure and are more widely available. As of 2021, there were two models of hydrogen cars publicly available, while there were 26 million plug-in electric vehicles sold worldwide. HFCVs also face challenges due to the high carbon emissions produced when hydrogen is derived from natural gas, as well as the high energy inputs required for production and transportation.
Overall, both HFCVs and EVs offer zero-emission alternatives to traditional gasoline or diesel-powered cars, but they have distinct advantages and disadvantages that will influence consumer decisions.
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Frequently asked questions
Hydrogen cars are fuelled by hydrogen gas, stored in a tank on the vehicle.
Hydrogen cars use an electric motor, powered by a fuel-cell stack. Pure hydrogen passes through a membrane to combine with oxygen from the air, producing electricity and water vapour.
Hydrogen cars are zero-emission vehicles, producing no harmful emissions. They also benefit from a long range on a single refuelling and a short refuelling time of around five minutes.
Hydrogen cars are more expensive than battery-electric vehicles due to the lack of fuelling infrastructure, energy-conversion inefficiencies, and the price of fuel. Hydrogen is also highly flammable and has a greater global warming effect than CO2.
Several companies have produced hydrogen cars, including Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, Chevrolet, and BMW.
