What are hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and are they worth it?

You’ve heard about gas and electric cars, but what about hydrogen-powered cars?

Fuel cell electric vehicles use electricity to power an electric motor, just like a regular electric car. However, FCEVs use hydrogen fuel cells to produce some of the electricity needed to power the vehicle, rather than relying solely on the battery.

Whether or not this makes sense is, like most things on the Internet, up for debate. Elon Musk, whose company Tesla makes competing battery-powered electric cars, once criticized FCEVs, He called them “mind-bogglingly stupid.” Meanwhile some major automobile companies, e.g Toyota Honda is investing in hydrogen technology. Experts at Toyota, which has its own battery electric vehicles, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and FCEVs, had no comment on Musk’s opinion, but stressed that it is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

“What gets lost in the discussion is what the customer wants and needs,” said Josh Burns, Toyota Mobility Communications Advisor. “When choosing a vehicle, it comes down to what works best based on your lifestyle, budget and what you have access to.” CNET.

With that said, should you consider an FCEV when purchasing your next car? Let’s explore how they stand up to internal combustion engine vehicles and battery electric vehicles to settle the debate.

What is a fuel cell electric car?

Unlike battery electric vehicles, which are more traditional electric vehicles that store energy in large batteries, FCEVs Generating electricity using hydrogen It emits only water vapor and warm air. BEV compounds FCEV cars They are greener alternatives with zero emissions, compared to an internal combustion engine vehicle, which burns fossil fuels and emits pollutants.

FCEVs are “an electric vehicle, but instead of plugging it in to recharge, you refill it with hydrogen,” explained Jackie Birdsall, senior engineering manager for Toyota’s fuel cell division.

When you are at a charging or refueling station, the power source is different. Here’s a quick breakdown of the different fuel sources we work with here:

• ICE vehicles use gas or diesel.
• Battery electric cars use electricity stored in a large battery.
• FCEVs use hydrogen.

Gas and diesel are fossil fuels, while electricity and hydrogen can be obtained from renewable sources. But this does not necessarily mean that these alternative fuel sources are 100% viable. Cleans.

“Not all electricity is clean, and that’s a challenge for hydrogen as well,” Burns said. “But with FCEVs, it’s often overlooked that the source can be clean, and there are lots of opportunities to produce clean hydrogen.”

It only takes about 5 minutes to refuel an FCEV. Refueling an FCEV is also much faster than a battery electric vehicle, which can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 50 hours depending on your type of vehicle. Electric vehicle charger level. The process of refueling an FCEV is actually similar to refueling an ICE vehicle. It’s like taking your car to the gas station, except you fill it with hydrogen instead of gasoline. At a hydrogen refueling station, you will connect the fuel nozzle to the vehicle’s hydrogen tank, filling it in just a few minutes.

Electric car batteries too They wear out over time. That’s why Energy star We recommend charging your electric vehicle to only 80% of its capacity in order to extend battery life. Hydrogen fuel cells are different. “The target at gas stations is usually 100%. Since it’s a hydrogen tank, you want it full and you want to drain it along the way. There’s no impact on the durability of the tank,” Birdsall said. This means that FCEVs can deliver consistent performance without the battery degradation concerns you see with battery-powered cars.

Pros and cons of FCEVs

FCEVs come with some Nice perks. First, you can fuel an FCEV in about 5 minutes, which is about the time it takes to put gas in an ICE car. You can usually get about 400 miles on one tank, depending on the car. But that will cost you more than just charging an electric car or fueling a snowmobile.

Hydrogen prices vary, however Reddit users He reported spending between $140-$200 per tank, which is much more than ICE or EV. Finding refueling locations can also be difficult. You will need to find hydrogen networks online and Station maps To plan your drive.

One of the main advantages of FCEVs is the environmental benefits. Instead of polluting the air by burning gas or diesel, FCEVs emit no tailpipe emissions and release only water vapor. However, the overall environmental impact of an FCEV depends largely on whether the hydrogen is from renewable sources or not. Currently, most hydrogen production does not come from clean energy sources, but this may change in the future.

“The federal government has allocated about $8 billion to create renewable energy sources Hydrogen axes All over the United States. “The goal is to use renewable resources specific to each region of the center to produce hydrogen,” Birdsall said.

Despite many advances over the past decade, FCEVs still face some hurdles. Here are some pros and cons to consider.

Pros

• Rapid refueling: You can fuel an FCEV in five minutes. One tank should last about 400 miles.
• Clean emissions: Instead of harmful pollutants, FCEVs emit only water vapor.
• Familiar refueling process: Refueling an FCEV is similar to refueling an ICE vehicle, making it a simple transition.
• Long-lasting performance: Hydrogen fuel cells have a long life and are designed to last the life of the vehicle. You don’t have to worry about battery deterioration like you would with a battery electric car.
• Incentives: You can get local and Federal grants or Incentives For zero-emission vehicles. Some automakers also offer refueling incentives when you purchase an FCEV.

cons

• Limited technology and resources: There are far fewer FCEVs and hydrogen fueling stations available compared to the alternatives. When gas stations need repair, there are not a large number of technicians and officials trained to work with hydrogen technology.
• Expensive fuel: Hydrogen is more expensive compared to other fuel sources.
• Non-renewable hydrogen: A large portion of hydrogen is produced from non-renewable sources, although efforts are underway to increase renewable hydrogen production.

The future of FCEVs

Will FCEVs take over the US? Maybe one day. But right now, most FCEVs in the US are located in California, mainly because of the state Zero emissions mandate. Other countries have a similar mandate, but have not put as much money or effort into developing hydrogen infrastructure. While the United States has been making strides toward FCEV adoption, it is still not as advanced as other countries.

“China and Korea have taken the lead in building hydrogen infrastructure by allocating a lot of funding to these efforts,” Birdsall said. “But the situation in California is different. We have more drivers and fewer stations, so there is more wear and tear on the infrastructure.”

This causes more hydrogen stations to be grounded for repairs. However, there is a much larger network of hydrogen stations in Japan and several European countries, which helps to distribute usage and reduce equipment breakdowns.

While the technology is evolving, there is still significant investment being made toward fuel cell development. “There are a lot of opportunities for light-duty vehicles, but also for medium- and heavy-duty transportation,” Burns said. One drawback of battery technology is that it does not yet support the long-range needs of commercial vehicles. But with the right hydrogen infrastructure, these vehicles can refuel quickly and keep running, making them a great solution for reducing emissions in fleet operations.

When it comes to the battle between EVs and stem cell-powered EVs, Burns said, “It’s not an either-or conversation; it’s an ‘and’. There’s no clear technology that’s better, but rather different solutions that can complement each other.” Both EVs and stem cell EVs play a role in reducing harmful emissions and supporting a sustainable future.

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