Sylvie Willis
The history of fuel cell cars is a long and complex one, with many pioneers contributing to their development over the last two centuries. The concept of the fuel cell was first demonstrated by British chemist Sir Humphry Davy in 1801, but it was Welsh physical scientist Sir William Grove who is credited with creating the first fuel cell in 1842. Grove's invention, known as a gas voltaic battery, combined hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, but it didn't generate enough power to be practical. It wasn't until 1932 that English engineer Francis Thomas Bacon created the first fuel cell that could be used for real-world applications. Since then, numerous scientists and engineers have refined and improved fuel cell technology, with car companies dominating the patent space. Today, fuel cell cars are seen as a promising alternative to traditional internal combustion engines, offering a source of energy that is clean, safe, and inexhaustible.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who Invented the First Fuel Cell | The first fuel cell was invented by British chemist and inventor Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829). However, the first working fuel cell is credited to Welsh physical scientist Sir William Grove, who invented it in 1842. |
| First Fuel Cell Car | The first road vehicle to use a fuel cell was the Chevrolet Electrovan, which was released in 1966 by General Motors. |
| First Fuel Cell Bus | The first fuel cell bus was completed in 1993. |
| Fuel Cell Cars | Toyota Mirai, Hyundai Nexo, Honda Clarity, Honda CR-V e:FCEV, GM HydroGen4, and Mercedes-Benz F-Cell. |
| Fuel Cell Trucks | Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Renault Trafic, and San Yang (motorcycle). |
| Fuel Cell Forklifts and Material Handling Vehicles | Honda established the world's first fuel cell vehicle dealer network in 2008. |
| Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure | As of 2020, there were fewer than 50 hydrogen fueling stations for automobiles publicly available in the US. |
| Advantages of Fuel Cells | Inexhaustible, environmentally safe, and always available energy source. Faster refuelling times compared to electric vehicles. |
| Disadvantages of Fuel Cells | Hydrogen vehicles are only 38% efficient, while battery EVs are 80-95% efficient. Producing hydrogen requires building a vast and expensive new infrastructure. |
| Fuel Cell Research and Development | The United States has invested over $1 billion in fuel cell research in the last 30 years. Iceland has also announced plans to create a hydrogen economy with Daimler-Benz and Ballard Power Systems. |
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What You'll Learn
The first fuel cell car
The history of the fuel cell car is a long and fascinating one, with early developments laying the groundwork for the remarkable breakthroughs of the last century. The concept of the fuel cell was first demonstrated by British chemist and inventor Sir Humphry Davy in 1801, when he created a device that gave him an electric shock from hydrogen fuel. However, the invention of the first working fuel cell is typically credited to Welsh physical scientist Sir William Grove, who in 1842, developed a device that worked in the same way as modern-day fuel cells. Grove's "gas voltaic battery" combined hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, but it didn't produce enough to be considered useful.
It wasn't until 1932 that English engineer Francis Thomas Bacon created the first fuel cell that could be practically applied. In the following decades, scientists and researchers continued to make breakthroughs in fuel cell technology, with Swiss chemist Emil Baur experimenting with different types of electrolytes in the early 1900s, and American electrical engineer William Jacques constructing the first carbon battery in 1896.
The first road vehicle to use a fuel cell was the Chevrolet Electrovan, which was introduced by General Motors in 1966. The Electrovan had a top speed of 70 mph and a range of about 150 miles, but safety concerns limited its use to company property. The Electrovan utilised technology from NASA's Apollo mission, and its development paved the way for future advancements in fuel cell cars.
By the 1980s, hydrogen fuel cells were being used in space shuttles, and the closure of the Apollo program led to many experts moving to private companies, accelerating the development of fuel cell technology for automobiles. In 2001, the first 700 Bar (10,000 PSI) hydrogen tanks were introduced, reducing the size of fuel tanks and extending the range of fuel cell vehicles.
The early 2000s saw a boom in the development and introduction of hydrogen-powered vehicles, with Honda launching the FCX Clarity in 2008, and Toyota releasing the first-generation Mirai in 2014. Hyundai also entered the market with the Nexo, which became the first fuel cell vehicle to be commercially available in the US, UK, and Australia. As of 2021, the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai Nexo are the only two models of fuel cell cars publicly available in select markets.
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The future of hydrogen fuel cell cars
Currently, the cost of producing hydrogen from low-carbon energy is high, but this is expected to decrease by 2030 due to declining renewable energy costs and increased hydrogen production. Fuel cells, refuelling equipment, and electrolysers (which produce hydrogen from electricity and water) can benefit from mass manufacturing to drive down costs. However, the development of hydrogen infrastructure is slow, and there is a need for coordination between governments, industries, and investors to accelerate the process.
The competitiveness of hydrogen fuel cell cars in the transportation market is influenced by the number of refuelling stations available and the price of hydrogen fuel. To address this, policies that create sustainable markets for clean hydrogen and reduce emissions from fossil fuel-based hydrogen are necessary. By scaling up supply chains and encouraging investments through targeted loans, guarantees, and other tools, costs can be reduced, and the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell cars can be made more attractive.
International cooperation is crucial to expanding the global hydrogen market and accelerating the growth of clean hydrogen. Sharing knowledge and best practices through coordinated efforts can help spur investments in factories and infrastructure, leading to cost reductions and wider availability of hydrogen fuel cell cars. Additionally, hydrogen has applications beyond transportation, including power generation, shipping, aviation, and buildings, further emphasising the importance of developing this technology.
In conclusion, the future of hydrogen fuel cell cars holds significant potential for reducing emissions and transforming the automotive industry. However, realising this future requires addressing cost and infrastructure challenges through policy interventions, international cooperation, and continued advancements in hydrogen production and supply chain efficiency. With these efforts, hydrogen fuel cell cars can play a pivotal role in the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy landscape.
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Hydrogen fuel cell cars' advantages and disadvantages
The first fuel cell was invented by British chemist and inventor Sir Humphry Davy in the early 1800s. However, the person usually credited with inventing the first fuel cell is Welsh physical scientist Sir William Grove, who, in 1842, developed the world's first "gas voltaic battery", which combined hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity.
Today, hydrogen fuel cell cars are seen as a promising technology for the future, with their use already being explored in some countries, such as Japan. They have several advantages over traditional combustion engine vehicles and even electric cars. For example, they produce zero tailpipe emissions, only emitting water vapour and warm air, which can significantly reduce carbon emissions. They also have a longer travel range than electric cars, typically covering 300-400 miles on a single tank, and can be refuelled in a matter of minutes at existing gas stations, rather than needing to be plugged in for hours.
However, hydrogen fuel cell cars also face some challenges. The infrastructure for hydrogen refuelling stations is currently limited, and hydrogen production and storage present difficulties due to its low density and high flammability. Although hydrogen is abundant, producing it in a usable form requires energy, which may reduce its environmental benefits.
Overall, hydrogen fuel cell cars have the potential to become a common sight on our roads, but further development of the technology and infrastructure is needed to overcome these challenges.
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The history of hydrogen fuel cell cars
It wasn't until a century later, in 1932, that English engineer Francis Thomas Bacon created the first fuel cell suitable for practical applications. The first road vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell was the Chevrolet Electrovan, introduced by General Motors in 1966. However, due to high costs and a lack of hydrogen infrastructure, the project was eventually scrapped.
In the 1970s, more hydrogen-powered vehicles began to emerge, and by the 1990s, automobile manufacturers were actively interested in fuel cell applications, with companies like Toyota, Mazda, Opel, and Renault all unveiling concepts. The Toyota FCHV and Honda FCX, introduced in 2002, became the first government-certified commercial hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Honda established the world's first fuel cell vehicle dealer network in 2008 and was the only company leasing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to private customers at the time.
In 2013, Hyundai released the Tucson FCEV, claiming it to be the world's first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. However, sales figures were never high. In 2014, Toyota unveiled the Mirai, which it claimed was the world's first dedicated mass-produced fuel cell vehicle. As of 2021, the Mirai and the Hyundai Nexo are the only two hydrogen cars publicly available in select markets.
Despite the advancements and increasing interest in hydrogen fuel cell technology, the global scope for hydrogen-powered cars is shrinking relative to the rapid rise of electric vehicles and their associated technology and infrastructure. By 2017, most automobile companies had switched their focus to battery-electric vehicles, and by 2020, only three car makers were still actively manufacturing hydrogen cars.
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Hydrogen fuel cell cars' impact on the environment
Hydrogen fuel cell cars have been touted as the future of passenger cars, with the ability to produce zero carbon emissions from their exhaust. They can be filled as quickly as a fossil fuel car and offer a similar driving distance. However, hydrogen fuel cell cars have a limited impact on the environment as they are flawed in several ways.
Firstly, hydrogen fuel cells are inefficient compared to electric vehicles. The energy powering a hydrogen fuel cell car must go through an extra conversion step, from wire to gas to wire, to power the car. This extra step, known as the energy vector transition, results in a loss of efficiency. For example, 100 watts of electricity produced by a wind turbine would lose about 5% of its efficiency when converted into hydrogen through electrolysis. In contrast, electric vehicles do not require this extra conversion step, resulting in higher energy efficiency.
Secondly, the cost of fuel cells needs to decrease substantially to be competitive in the marketplace. The most expensive part of a fuel cell is manufacturing the fuel cell stack itself. Additionally, the cost of building and maintaining hydrogen stations is also a factor that needs to be addressed to support the widespread adoption of hydrogen fuel cell cars.
Thirdly, hydrogen has a lower volumetric energy density than gasoline, requiring a larger tank at higher pressure to store the same amount of energy. This presents a challenge for light-duty vehicles that have limited size and weight capacity for fuel storage.
Despite these challenges, hydrogen fuel cell cars can play a significant role in certain sectors, such as heavier vehicles like vans or trucks, where hydrogen may be a more viable option due to the larger battery requirements. Additionally, hydrogen can help strengthen national energy security, conserve petroleum, and diversify transportation energy options. Overall, while hydrogen fuel cell cars have some environmental benefits, they are currently limited by technological and economic factors.
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Frequently asked questions
The first fuel cell was invented by British chemist and inventor Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829). However, the first working fuel cell is credited to Welsh physical scientist Sir William Grove, who invented it in 1842.
The first road vehicle to use a fuel cell was the Chevrolet Electrovan, which was released in 1966 by General Motors.
Examples of fuel cell cars include the Toyota Mirai, the Hyundai Nexo, the Honda Clarity, the Honda CR-V e:FCEV, the GM HydroGen4, and the Mercedes-Benz F-Cell.
Fuel cell cars offer a source of energy that is inexhaustible, environmentally safe, and always available. They also have longer ranges and faster refuelling times compared to electric vehicles.
