Difference between Fuel Cells and Hybrid Cars?

Question

What is the difference? For instance, take the Honda FCX models...Do some hybrids use fuel cells? I am completely confused. Can someone sort this thing out for me with citation please. Thanks

Answer 1

Fuel cell cars run on hydrogen (but not from water).  Currently they are not very environmentally friendly because we don't have a good way to get the hydrogen fuel.  Generally it comes from natural gas, and the process releases as much CO2 as burning gasoline.

Theoretically you can get hydrogen from water by means of electrolysis.  However, this requires a ton of energy - more than you get buy burning the hydrogen as fuel.  Unless we find a way to weaken the atomic bonds, this process will not work.

Hybrid cars have a regular gas engine and an electric motor.  The electric motor is powered by batteries, which get recharged in various ways - from a regenerative braking system, for example.

Answer 2

a fuel cell is just a small gas tank. it holds usually between 5-7 gallons of regular gasoline or diesel. A hybrid uses both batteries and fuel.

Answer 3

Hybrid vehicles have both a conventional gas engine (which is quite fuel efficient) and a small electric motor to boost mpg. it usually works by having the electric motor running the car at very low speeds or while idling, then the gas engine comes into use at highr speeds or to charge to electric motor.

Fuels cell cars on the other hand don't need a single drop of gas, they run entirely on hydrogen (derived from water) and some of them use an electric device to seperate the oxygen from the water.

So far no hybrids use fuel cell technology, and fuel cell filling.recharging stations are found only in california

Answer 4

Fuel cell vehicles run on hydrogen. Hydrogen is a very low density fuel that requires a lot of energy to produce from water, then to compress or liquefy, and then to transport.

Hybrid vehicles have both an electric motor and a gas or diesel engine. It derives its efficiency from regenerative braking. While the vehicle is slowing or braking the electric motors function as generators to recharge the battery. Under ideal conditions (lots of stop-and-go driving) a hybrid vehicle could get twice the mileage of a gas vehicle.