What's the point of hybrid hydrogen vehicles if the fuel comes from fossil fuels?

Question

Quoting an article from MotherJones: 90 percent of all hydrogen will be refined from oil, natural gas, and other fossil fuels -- in a process using energy generated by burning oil, coal, and natural gas. Your philosophy?

Answer 1

Hydrogen is not produced from oil but from water and electrolisis. Companies even could use solar or eolic energy for electrolisys, so everything could be clean. Wastes of those cars is just water. (See first link for more info regarding this topic)

Obviously they don t cost 1,000,000 US$ , that would be out of market. They are affordable for many people. There are also gaz stations in Europe and Japan, but probably not in other countries. (see second link)

Answer 2

Will be?  MotherJones sees the future?

CURRENTLY, in the US about 95% of our hydrogen is made from steam reforming of natural gas (not oil).  Methane (the primary constituent) has the best carbon/hydrogen ratio, and this is the most economical way to make it here, right now.  The future is a funny thing - we won't know for a while what the answer is.    To make the process clean, you need enough clean energy not only to do the electrolysis, but also to compress the hydrogen to a usable pressure (quite high, about 10,000 psi, if you want any significant range out of a vehicle).  So when our grid energy gets clean, or local electrolysis stations can come online with solar/wind etc, then we can get clean H2.

Answer 3

you would have to own one of theose cars 4 12 years, b/4 you save anything, and the way they make cars now you can't keep them that long.

Answer 4

If the end result is lower energy use over all ... then why not?

Answer 5

A good question. In most cases it takes less fossil fuel to generate alternative fuel,s. I would guess that the savings comes from there. In the case of hydrogen we could use the desert,s to generate electricity to make hydrogen. But as long as the oil co,s. own our politician,s it wont happen. Well that is my thought on the subject any who.

Answer 6

there is no point. its just a scam to make car companies look green. but the fuel is still wayyyyyyyy expensive. about $4 for the driving distance of a gallon of gas. and thats for the really really dirty hydrogen. a hydrogen car now cost $1,000,000. all the gas stations have to convert before anyone really buys them, then u have to have people transport the fuel.  they are having problems keeping the gas in. personally... i dont know why they are investing so much in hydogen...:( makes me sad. when u can now NOWWW get a battery car that goes just as far as a normal car, and is way faster than a normal car for $90,000. hmmm.. do reseach for a car that cost $1,000,000 or $90,000... hmmm.... i dont know what kind of people is running car companies

Answer 7

Hydrogen is more easily and more cheaply attained through electrolosis of water. MotherJones is an oil baron.