Why aren't we switching to hydrogen cars?

Question

From what I understand, the technology is ready but people are still talking about ethonol, hybrids, electric.

Is there a problem with hydrogen?

Answer 1

Lack of infrastructure.  I'm sure you could go out an buy a hydrogen car today if you really set your mind to it.  There are a few municipalities which are experimenting with hydrogen fleets.  However, once you got your car, where would you fill 'r up?  There's a gas station on just about every corner, but I can't think of a single Hydrogen filling station anywhere!  Until there is a way to support hydrogen-powered vehicles on a daily basis they will not take off.  The catch-22 here is that until there are a sufficient number of hydrogen powered vehicles, gas stations will not sell hydrogen because it will not be profitable for them.  Unfortunately, the early adapters will probably need to be governments and corporations with large fleets of vehicles and private filling stations.

Answer 2

hydrogen is extrememly flammable.

Answer 3

Because people dont want to change and would rather buy traditional american cars that pollute even more just because they want to.  We dont live in 1950 anymore.  This upsets to  no end.  It amazes me the number of people who downright deny global warming or will get really angry and call you a hippie or a tree hugger.

Answer 4

I am working on a new type of engine for a car. The motor uses superconductors but engineering the functions will cost $70 million dollars. Then we will need the infrastructure-check it out at CoolingEarth.org

Answer 5

How much money does YOUR hydrogen car cost to operate?

Answer 6

To all of those who are saying hydrogen is flammable so is gasoline. I have heard that they could make hydrogen pellets.

Answer 7

The British manfacturer Morgan is making a hydrogen car, using fuel cells, I was reading about it recently (links below).

However, Morgans are incredibly expensive just for the standard type, and hard to get hold of as well, so I think the hydrogen car would be very pricey.

Once wealthy people start buying them (movie stars and the like could easily afford one however much it costs, I guess), then other manufacturers might start looking at making them for their top end customers.

After that happens, they'll become available in cheaper models.

At this stage the technology is probably too expensive to use widely.

Cheers :-)

Answer 8

yes! well not much problem. it takes more gas to make hydrogen. for example ( just example, not exact) it takes 2 gallons of fuel to produce enough hydrogen for a car to go 20 miles. so its kind of point less. where as electric it takes 2 gallons of gas to get you to go 100 miles. electric car have an  efficiency   of the high 80% and up and hydrogen is around 30%

Answer 9

Is the energy generated controllabe ?

Answer 10

people will switch when they are available and affordable, or when they're forced to.  Look at Hybrids...only now do you start to see more and more on the road.  the prices have fallen enough, there are gov't incentives for buying and the gasoline companies are sticking it to us...

Answer 11

Yes there are several problems with hydrogen.  The main ones are:

1) Where to get the hydrogen fuel.  Electrolysis is inefficient and currently 96% of our hydrogen comes from fossil fuels (not environmentally friendly).

2) No transportation and storage infrastructure (few hydrogen refueling stations).

3) Fuel cells currently use platinum which makes them incredibly expensive.  Honda is about to lease some fuel cell cars for $600/month.  And that's just a lease!

See the link below for further details.

Answer 12

because the government is corrupt   and not helping      and hydrogen is dangerous    but your right we do need to make some changes

Answer 13

i do not know ask it in yahoo answers

Answer 14

Hydrogen cars are still years away.  There are many problems to solve.  We need to figure out ways to produce tons and tons of hydrogen, to store it, transport it, etc. We need to find a safe way to build gas tanks in cars that can handle the huge pressure.  Then we have to build 'hydrogen stations' all over, and the US car companies have to learn how to make hydrogen cars.

All of this might take 30 or 40 years, or longer.  President Bush put a lot of government money behind development of hydrogen.  But he took that money out of research and development of hybrids, and that is a technology that's available -now-.  We could cut our gas consumption almost in half in 8 or 10 years if we began selling hybrid cars today in all price ranges, all sizes.

But that's not what's best for the oil companies, so we're not going to have that.

Answer 15

Hydrogen cars?  Why don't you ask some of the survivors of the Hindenberg disaster....

Answer 16

Infrostructure.  You can pull up to a gas pump, fil your tank, complain and then pay the price, and drive away.  Unitl it is cost affective to do the same with ANY fuel, it will fail.  That includes the cost to make the fuel, move it to stations, and get it to people on a large scale.