It’s an open secret electric vehicles are not as green as they could be. The main reasons are the environmental impact of lithium and cobalt mining, and the fact that we charge them using fossil fuel. So for now, we largely play pretend with huge battery packs on wheels. And all this time, scientists know hydrogen answers the enigma, at least in theory.
Hydrogen Answers Questions Then Poses More
The technology is quite simple. A fuel cell aboard a hydrogen-powered vehicle draws gas stored in a container. It mixes this with oxygen from the atmosphere. Then it passes the result through a proton exchange membrane releasing electricity in the process, and a byproduct, water H20.
Thus hydrogen fuel cells are actually more like electricity generators than batteries. Because they manufacture the energy as they need it. Moreover, they are happy to keep on doing this continuously for as long as they have their hydrogen and oxygen fuel. We find fuel cells in a wide range of applications. Hydrogen already answers energy needs in some space capsules, forklifts, automobiles, boats, buses, motorcycles, and submarines.
So Why Are We Obsessed with Lithium Batteries in Electric Cars?
In reality, it is more complicated than it sounds. Roll-out is the problem, because hydrogen is potentially explosive, remember the hydrogen bomb. So it does not have the glamour of an electric car battery. Even though its specific energy by weight beats lithium batteries by a factor of 236 times, and it needs remarkably less storage.
You also don’t have to wait hours while you top up a hydrogen tank. Although, it might take even longer to find a refueling station. The west is generally holding back, while the Japanese think the numbers are sufficiently compelling to find out whether hydrogen answers our need for electric vehicles adequately.
They are planning to have 40,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV’s) on their islands by March 2021, supported by 160 fuel stations. This could be such a cleaner alternative to lithium-ion vehicles. It’s time to add FCV to our list of acronyms!
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Hydrogen-Fueled Vehicles: Practical, or Idealistic?
Are Hydrogen Fuel Cells Batteries?
Preview Image: Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Stack
