Hydrogen fuel cells rely on a steady supply of the gas, plus fresh air to power hydrogen vehicles. The air is abundantly available, whereas the gas is in cumbersome tanks which require periodic replenishment. Toyota plans to display portable hydrogen cartridges at Japan Mobility Show Bizweek 2024, later this month. And they do look like batteries.
But That’s Not the Only Role for Portable Hydrogen Cartridges
Tom’s Guide immediately seized on the opportunity to use Toyota’s portable hydrogen cartridges in other applications, such as home cooking for example. After all, as he points out, the cartridges are portable, and similar to ‘oversized bluetooth speakers.’
But to us, this innovation has three more distinct advantages in the world of environmentally-friendly transport:
- The consumer can keep a spare cartridge in the trunk, and install a replacement without requiring assistance.
- They may no longer have to leave their vehicle at a dealer for a major gas tank top-up, or a replacement.
- Hydrogen-powered vehicles will no longer need large gas storage areas, opening the door to smaller, lighter vehicles.
But What Has This To Do With Batteries, You Ask
That’s a fair question, and you deserve an answer. You see, batteries store energy, which they release as electricity to power devices. Hydrogen also stores energy, and like batteries, hydrogen fuel cells require an anode and cathode to release it.
We could perhaps argue, on a related line, that oil, coal, and gas belong in this category too, but there’s a catch. When we burn these fossil fuels to release their energy, we pollute our atmosphere and this is causing global warming.
But the water that covers a large part of our planet comprises vast volumes of hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio H₂O. Toyota’s portable hydrogen cartridges tap into this freely available energy, that could power our green future without greenhouse gases.
More Information
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Car Update
