Hydrogen Vehicles

You have probably heard talk about hydrogen cars being the automobile of the future, with features such as water vapor emissions and high energy return. But how feasible is the hydrogen vehicle, really?

The currently available hydrogen vehicle technology includes combustion engines and fuel cells, along with hybrid options, which combine a combustion engine or fuel cell with a plug-in battery. Hydrogen combustion engines burn hydrogen fuel to move mechanical parts in an engine, similar to a gasoline combustion engine. This technology is thought to be a significant step towards a hydrogen-powered transportation system. Fuel cell technology is starting to be used in a number of cars worldwide. One hydrogen fuel cell-powered car of the future that continues to receive attention is the hypercar. This vehicle incorporates extremely lightweight materials into its design. None of these technologies produce carbon dioxide directly if hydrogen is already available.

Despite the lack of direct carbon dioxide emissions, there is a high energy requirement for the extraction of hydrogen, so overall carbon dioxide emissions associated with hydrogen fuel may not be lower than those created from conventional fossil fuel combustion. Additionally, if hydrogen is used in combustion applications, nitrous oxide is created, which has a global warming potential over 200 times higher than carbon dioxide.

Regardless of these concerns, many automobile companies have already taken steps to develop and implement hydrogen-powered vehicles. Ford Motor Company and BMW, along with numerous other companies, are developing hydrogen and fuel-cell powered vehicles, many of which will soon become commercially available. Honda currently leases fuel cell vehicles on a small scale for $600 per month.

Cities and fleets are also beginning to explore hydrogen-powered transportation. The ecobus fleet in Perth, Australia, is one such project. Its trial run put buses entirely powered by hydrogen fuel cells on the road from 2004 to 2007, and was considered very successful. Ford Motors is also making steps to promote its own fuel-cell fleet

Ultimately, hydrogen vehicle technology must be more fully researched and developed before advocates can tout it as the solution to our fossil fuel dependence and carbon dioxide emissions. As renewable energy options for the generation and transportation of hydrogen are developed, hydrogen vehicles could become the more sustainable option we are searching for.