Are we EVER going to see hydrogen-powered cars?

Question

we kinda seem to be stuck in a catch-22: there are no hydrogen-cars because there are no fuel stations. There are no fuel stations because there are no cars.

Are we ever going to escape this loop?

Answer 1

I've seen some things today that impact on my position, happily, for I'm for anything that improves our nations ability to withdraw from the petrochemicals. So, I'm modifying my original negative position as presented below. Let me share with you a few links, if I can figure out how to include them, then factor in how I think it impacts on this discussion. The first link,  http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/breakthro...  describes obtaining hydrogen using microbes in greater abundance and in an engergy positive way, by tweaking natures own methods. This is very positive news and contradicts my most ardent objective to pursuing this goal. The second link, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200... involves a novel material that pratically doubles the volume of hydrogen storage in a less temperature sensitive way. These are both exciting developements and have caused me to think that perhaps there is much greater hope for this resource. I still think that electric vehicles are the eventual prefered avenue once energy storage devices can absorb sufficient power to do the job, only because an all electric vehicle would by its nature, be more reliable, less complicated in its componets. If hydrogen can in fact be produced using an energy positive method in the here and now, let us pursue that in tandum with increasing the abilities of the electric vehicles and let the markets compete. Perhaps we will find that both are complimentary technologies with particular niches for both. Hydrogen! Who would have thought? Bring it on!

-original thesis-

It is very unlikely that will we see hydrogen vehicles on our roads, the primary reason having been addressed in an earlier answer, referring to that of power density. Hydrogen requires more energy to produce than it provides, making it a negative energy source. It's only attraction is that it could be produced during less than peak hours or in processes that have an abundant energy cycle, utilizing what might be wasted energy. Even that possibility is shadowed by the mere fact that hydrogen will always be somewhat of a delicate fuel to incorporate into an engine operating in the real world, hitting potholes or traversing dirt roads of teeth shaking, engine rattling quality over a variety of elevations and temperatures. Our best bet will be to go total electric and push our technologies in that direction. Meanwhile, gasoline remains the highest energy density available for volume to provide mechanical energy that we have on the market and probably will be for the next five years or more. I expect that to change. It must, or our oil dependency will kill us. If the future does include the hydrogen car, it will use for its source a surprise entry involving something that we have yet to see, such as burning salt water or some other unheard of science. My guess is that these sorts of technologies are far down the road and we don't have the time to explore them. Our need to unload our oil requirement is direct, and becoming urgent, but hydrogen is not likely to be the key to unlock that future.

Answer 2

I've read that it will take some incentives from the government for it to get started, and all the big auto manufacturers have to agree on the specs.

That in mind, understand that hydrogen is a save-all solution, its only a way to store energy. it takes a lot of energy to create hydrogen, although water is abundant.

The real way to see progress is development in new sources of energy, like wind, solar, wave, thermal.

good luck to you.

Answer 3

Alcohol fuel cells will be the fuel cell of the future

we already have the plant designs to make alcohol.

we have the plants to make it

it can be sold from the gas pumps we already have.

it can be made from oil till as we bring more plants on line to make bio alcohol

it also can be made from coal.

the only way to make the hydrogen we would need would to be to build over 40 nuke plants just to make hydrogen.

it would be better to use nuke plants to make power to replace oil fired power plants.

i don't believe in the global warming.

but with the cost of oil going up we will have to cut the use of oil or the great depression of the 1920s 30s will be childs play to what will come to the US.

how will you get around with gas at $10 a gal and no job.

Answer 4

Most certainly not.  Hydrogen is explosive, hard to store, easy to loose, and hard to manufacture.

Biodiesel and ethanol have a slightly better chance at getting in on things.  For one thing, the cars aren't so different.  

You can make a biodiesel vehicle out of a regular diesel vehicle quite easily.  You can also make the fuel, and doing so is a lot safer than many things people already do in their own homes, such as freebasing drugs, reloading shell casings, teaching kids to cook...

For another thing, the fuels have other uses.  Ethanol is pretty common in NASCAR races, and there are a lot of race tracks.  Some remote controlled cars also use ethanol, although that's such a small amount it isn't really worth mentioning here.

Answer 5

Sure.

People are working on developing a practical hydrogen fuel cell powered car.  When they can demonstrate one at a reasonable cost, someone will start putting hydrogen terminals in big cities.

Then it will grow.

Answer 6

The limitation on hydrogen-powered cars is not the hydrogen infrastructure, but rather the technology in the cars themselves, as well as concerns about vehicle fuel storage.

First- The technology used in the fuel cells, while not new- Apollo used it to get to the moon- is still 'exotic.'  They require expensive catalysts, platinum, etc.  These are expensive, and not particularly durable, needing major reconditioning quite frequently.

Secondly, the amount of energy in a given volume of hydrogen is considerably less than other fuels.  Using compressed hydrogen gas, cars have a limited range.  Higher pressures require heavier storage tanks and raise safety concerns.

Liquid hydrogen is a possibility, but incurs massive costs in terms of refrigeration and storage.

Other solutions include exotic metal-hydride matrices and other ways of packing the molecules into dense forms, but these are mostly theoretical.

None of these problems are insurmountable, but we're probably still 20-30 years from affordable, durable, useful hydrogen cars.  I'd put my money on battery electrics with hybrid/plugin generation.

Answer 7

Mother earth News had an article and design from some guy that built a hydrogen powered truck in the '70's.   With a little tinkering and research you could be the first guy on the block to own one.    BTW, hydrogen is much safer than gasoline if handled correctly.

Answer 8

It is not a catch 22. There are very good reasons there are no hydrogen stations. Hydrogen gas does not exist in nature and it takes more energy to make it that you get by using it. At least Ethanol can be made by using less energy that you get by using it, so in principle you could make some amount of ethanol with oil power, and then use that ethanol to power a process that makes more that that amount of ethanol. With hydrogen, the hydrogen powered factory would make less hydrogen than it used.