Hydrogen Cars to be sold here in America in 5 years?

Question

Would you buy a hydrogen fuel car when they come out?

Source:

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070710/ford_hydrogen.html?.v=4

Answer 1

We don't have the power plant capacity to manufacture much hydrogen. Can you drum up enough support to build dozens of new power plants? Would they be fossil fuel or nuclear?

Answer 2

I'd say you are looking at more like about 10-20 years for most of them.  Check out the website below.

http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com

The hydrogen cars have pretty much already been developed.  GM has the GM Hy-wire and GM Sequel.  The cars can already drive as far as a regular car can on a tank of fuel.  California is already working on installing a hydrogen highway.  

There are a few hydrogen car models that you might see in about 5 years.  But they will most likely be combustible hydrogen engines.  The combustible hydrogen engine will probably be a short transition phase before hydrogen fuel cell cars become prevalent.

There are a few limiting factors right now that are holding them back.  The first is creating a distribution network that doesn't exist in the US.  The second is making the technology affordable enough so that people can afford the cars.  The third is getting enough companies to be able to produce the components so that the cars can be produced on a mass scale.

All three of those areas are being quickly worked on.  The matter of creating the hydrogen really isn't a problem.  It's given off as a by product during many chemical processes, even when gas companies produce gasoline.  The gas companies are expecting the switch to hydrogen and they are already starting to invest in being able to produce hydrogen fuel.

So my answer is that hydrogen fuel cars are coming.  It's just going to be a while before you see them in the car lots and on the road.

Answer 3

At what cost? How much energy is really required to produce a tank full? I'm not so sure it's cost effective. Great question though! ;-)=

Answer 4

Yep.... if they find some other way than gaseous hydrogen... the storage of the gas at high pressure is the problem... If some other method of using hydrogen that is both cheep and problem free then it would be a lock....

Answer 5

If my cost to buy and run the cars would not outweigh my costs to drive what I have now by a large margin, sure I would.

Answer 6

Currently they cost FIVE times as much as a gasoline car.

So be my guest.  I plan on keeping my car for at least 8 more years unless I upgrade to a diesel model if they become available.  And I'll definitely buy a car to keep for a long time in the next 10 years if this current energy bill passes (requiring 35mpg average for cars, trucks, and SUVs).

I may buy a few of them and alternate them so I can have the vehicles I want until I die.

Answer 7

If the cost was comparable to that of a regular car.  I heard that someone has invented an air-car.  Is that the same thing?

Answer 8

I'm intrigued, but I think besides the high cost to buy it, the cost to fix it at the mechanic shop will be really high compared to a normal car because only a few will know how. Granted, it may not break down as much, but everything breaks eventually.

Answer 9

Yes, if they can overcome the cost, safety, and storage problems. Fuel cells will be much better if they can get the research & design completed.

Answer 10

Yes, Ford Motor Company has a fleet of approximately 30 shuttle buses with 6.8L internal combustion engines converted to hydrogen in operation.

The range of the Ford vehicles on a fill up of hydrogen is approximately 150 to 200 miles.

It is much cheaper and easier to convert an internal combustion engine to run on hydrogen than it is to build a fuel cell vehicle.

If the electricity that is used  to produce the hydrogen is generated by wind power, then you have no carbon dioxide emissions.

Currently available equipment uses approximately 50 kilowatt hours of electricity to produce an amount of hydrogen with the energy equivalency of one gallon of gasoline.

the cost to produce electricity by the use of wind power is approcimately 4 cents per kilowatt hour. That is a cost of production of approximately$2.00 for an amount of hydrogen with an energy equivalency to one gallon of gasoline.

To provide electricity to produce hydrogen for all of the vehicles in the United States would require approximately 2 million wind turbines each with a capacity of 1.8 megawatts, assuming they operate approximately 30% of the time.

Electrolysis equipment and the required compressors can be installed in the garage of a homeowner and operate off the electricity and water supply to the hose.

The equipment can also be installed at existing gasoline stations, so yoiu do not have to build special fueling stations.

Answer 11

Only if they were competitive with conventionally fueled vehicles.  This means that they must have the same performance, convenience and cost.

Answer 12

I will when they are comparable to ICE cars in cost, range, and convenience.