Renewed interest in alternative energy for cars. We’ve all heard of electric and hybrid cars, but many of us don’t stop to think about the many different types of energy sources that are available to power them.
Of all the alternative fuel options available, hydrogen fuel cells have proven to be some of the cleanest on the market today. They’re not ready to be a regular sight on our roads, but the future is bright for hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Keep reading to see how this technology works and all of the pros and cons of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Plus, a few examples.
How a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Works
Hydrogen fuel cell cars produce electricity through the conversion of hydrogen gas. When this occurs, heat and water are the only two things emitted from it. As with other electric vehicles, you will not have any toxic carbon emissions being expelled into the atmosphere.
Inside the vehicle are high-pressure fuel tanks that store the hydrogen gas. Instead of burning the gas as you do with normal fuel, it flows into fuel cells, which have oxygen in them.
Like a magician, the gas is combined with the oxygen and forms the electric current needed to power the electric motors, which in turn gives power to the wheels.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Advantages
Here are five benefits of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle compared to a typical ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle:
#1. No Oil Needed.
Because you’ve got hydrogen powering your vehicle, you won’t be going out for traditional fuel sources like gas or oil.
#2. Less Gas Emitted.
All that good old-fashioned hydrogen only sends heat and water out of its tailpipe. No carbon emissions coming out of it.
#3. Good Fuel Economy.
Fuel cell cars give drivers more miles per gallon than gas or diesel engine cars.
#4. Quiet.
Like other electric vehicles, silent as a mouse – at least when it isn’t if it’s burning fossil fuels.
#5. Easy Maintenance.
Fewer moving parts in fuel cell vehicles than the ones you drive along at the moment, making them easy to maintain.
#6. Small Battery.
All vehicles have batteries in them, only they are there for different purposes pertaining to the type of vehicle. A hydrogen fuel cell car has a small battery pack, which is responsible for boosting acceleration only, not the driving force behind it like in hybrid range of vehicles.
The hydrogen fuel cell car batteries are able to recharge from the energy of the hydrogen fuel cells which lets the battery last a very long time.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Disadvantages
Here are the five biggest drawbacks of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle making them not ready for mainstream use just yet.
#1. Few Hydrogen Stations.
The one major downside of hydrogen fuel cell cars is that you can’t just rock up to a normal gas station to fill up your tank. You’ll have to make a trip to a hydrogen fuel station to recharge the cells.
Unfortunately, only a limited number of hydrogen fuel stations are operational. Only about 100 hydrogen fuel stations operate in the whole of the USA, with most stationed in California. However, new estimates state that over 4,000 hydrogen fueling stations will exist in the US by 2030.
#2. Initial Cost.
Generally, fuel cell vehicles are on the very expensive side. As the technology is relatively new and due to its unique properties as a whole, the cost of the vehicle is easily in the region of $50,000 at a minimum.
#3. Low Durability.
Fuel cells lack the strong durability compared to internal combustion engines, and this is especially true in humid environments.
#4. Low Reliability.
Reliability with the fuel cell system is also low, and is easily half the reliability you would get with internal combustion technologies.
#5. Still Unknown.
Fuel cell vehicles are still in the dark ages; the general public doesn’t even know what they are, and hardly any information about them can be found at a car dealership.
Examples of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles
Honda and Toyota are two of the largest car companies in the world and they both happen to use hydrogen fuel cell tech in a handful of cars.
Since the early part of the 21st Century, Honda and Toyota have released some hydrogen fuel cell cars. Most of them have stayed in Japan while others made their way to the United States as simply concept cars.
Here are ten examples of cars with hydrogen fuel cells.
- 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell – 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell is the newest of Honda’s fuel cell vehicles. There are only 12 Honda dealerships in California that are allowed to sell them and only six dealerships are in Southern California.
- 2016 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell – 2016 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell made its American début in Southern California like the last Clarity in 2008. Now that there are a few more hydrogen fueling stations & Honda dealerships selling this vehicle, it attracted a lot more buyers.
- 2015 Toyota Mirai – 2015 Toyota Mirai is one of Toyotas most successful hydrogen fuel cell cars. Only $57,000, considered a luxury car, it has been sold all over the states in the northeast.
- 2014 Honda FCV Concept– The 2014 Honda Fuel Cell Vehicle Concept showed American Californians what Honda was working on and what their fuel cell technology can do. This was only a concept car, but it lead to the creation of their clarity Models in 2016 and 2017.
- 2014 Toyota FCV– The 2014 Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle was a concept car which was shown first at the Tokyo Motor Show before it was sold in the United States. It was only sold in areas where there were hydrogen fueling stations
- 2007 Honda FCX Clarity– The 2007 Honda Fuel Cell Experiment Clarity was the company’s new fuel cell vehicle which was introduced in Europe, Japan, and Southern California. Europe had already been having Hydrogen fueling stations at this point.
- 2005 Toyota Fine-X– The 2005 Toyota Fine-X, also known as Fuel Cell Innovation Emotion-eXperiment started out as a concept car in, you guessed it, the Tokyo Motor Show and The Geneva Auto Show.
- 2005 Toyota Fine-T– The 2005 Toyota Fine-T is actually another name for the Toyota Fine-X which is used in Europe and Japan. Both cars had very similar features and were surely among the first to use four-wheel steering in a fuel cell vehicle.
- 2002 Honda FCX– The 2002 Honda Fuel Cell Experiment (FCX) was one of the first fuel cell cars produced by Honda. When the vehicle came out in 2002 it was actually a hybrid, however it held the hydrogen motors first true look at power from a fuel tank.
- 2002 Toyota FCHV– The 2002 Toyota Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle was the first hydrogen vehicle introduced by Toyota. It was only available through a lease agreement to a limited number of American drivers. The response was encouraging but it would not get sold for a several years later.
Please note: If you’re interested in purchasing a hydrogen vehicle, you will need to research the locations of the nearest hydrogen fueling stations. Since you can only drive within these areas, you will not be able to take your hydrogen car on long trips where there are no fueling stations for it.
That is why Honda and Toyota chose certain dealerships to sell and lease these cars from. They wanted to be sure consumers could access these fueling stations nearby.
The Outlook
You may question why more hydrogen vehicles aren’t in use if they’re so good for the environment. The critical slant from the other camp is that if hydrogen is produced, it causes emissions.
This is indeed true because our current source of hydrogen is natural gas. However, we have the technology to create hydrogen from purer renewables.
California has initiated this process at 6 of its hydrogen fueling stations. The state mandates that any hydrogen station that receives state funds must utilize renewable sources for at least 33% of its hydrogen production. Hopefully, this percentage will go up in the future and spread to other states.