Hydrogen Cars Explained!
Image Source csiro Scop
What is a Hydrogen Car?
Rather than relying on a battery to power its electric motors, a hydrogen car relies on hydrogen as its fuel source. These cars compete with E.V.s as they’re both 0% commission cars. The hydrogen in these cars is sorted in a “stack” of fuel cells. These are roughly the size of a briefcase. They are refuelled, not recharged like its EV counterpart. The refuelling process only takes a few minutes similar to many current combustion engines. This is one of the first advantages hydrogen cars have, they’re refuelling and range are great, doing a away with one of the biggest complaints EVs get, which is the slow recharge rates and anxiety regarding travel range. Unfortunately at the moment you’re much more likely to bump into a charging station than somewhere that can accommodate hydrogen cars.
Image Source evmojo
Clean Energy
So we covered that these cars 0% emissions. This is true in the harmful sense, they will still emit water and heat, both are not harmful to climate crisis. The only downside and potentially why we haven’t seen more hydrogen cars is that despite hydrogen being the most abundant element on the planet it’s often connected to other elements and does no occur naturally. So we have to get our hydrogen from a source such as water for example. There’s plenty around. The ironic issue is that one of the best methods to get hydrogen from H2O is by adding electricity to water. This means we’ll have to generate electricity to create our electricity generating hydrogen. This can be done cleanly with solar or win power, and researchers are constantly looking into better and cheaper methods.
Image Source Popular Mechanics
Conclusion
Hydrogen Cars are a very impressive feat of technology that have the power to push humanity towards it next greener era. They need more widespread support and acknowledgment. But mostly we need an efficient method of generating hydrogen before we can invite the future to our doorstep.
Hydrogen On Earth
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, but on Earth, it is not found in its pure form because it is highly reactive and tends to combine with other elements to form compounds such as water or methane.
While hydrogen can be produced from a variety of sources, including natural gas, coal, and biomass, the most promising source of hydrogen is renewable energy. Electrolysis is a process that can be used to produce hydrogen by splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen using an electric current.
However, the process of producing hydrogen through electrolysis can be expensive and energy-intensive, especially when renewable energy sources like solar and wind power are used. This is because the electricity used to power the electrolysis process must be generated from renewable sources, which are not always available in large quantities or at a low cost.
In addition, the storage and transport of hydrogen can be challenging. Hydrogen has a low energy density, which means that a large volume of hydrogen is needed to store the same amount of energy as a smaller volume of gasoline or diesel fuel. Hydrogen is also a highly flammable gas, and special safety precautions are required for its storage and transport.
Overall, while hydrogen has the potential to be a clean and sustainable source of energy, the high cost and technical challenges associated with its production, storage, and transport have limited its widespread adoption.
Hydrogen can be used as a fuel to power cars. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are electric vehicles that use hydrogen to generate electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with the only by-product being water. The electricity is then used to power an electric motor, which drives the vehicle’s wheels.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have several advantages over traditional gasoline-powered vehicles, including zero emissions and higher energy efficiency. They also have a longer range than battery electric vehicles, and can be refuelled more quickly, typically in just a few minutes.
However, the high cost of producing, storing, and transporting hydrogen has limited the availability and affordability of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Additionally, the lack of a widespread refuelling infrastructure for hydrogen has been a major barrier to their adoption.
Overall, while hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have the potential to be a clean and efficient alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles, the high cost and infrastructure challenges associated with hydrogen production and distribution have limited their widespread adoption to date.
Great I would get a hydro vehicle or even get my petrol one converted. Bring it on.