Hydrogen Cars

• There are currently only about 15,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles on U.S. roads, and they’re all in California. Meanwhile, the number of electric vehicles reaches millions.
• While electric cars are attracting attention and major manufacturers are focusing on making electric cars dominant by 2030, hydrogen vehicles remain in the background for now.
• Here’s what you need to know about what hydrogen vehicles are, how they work, and how likely you are to drive one.
• You’ve probably heard a lot lately about electric vehicles and legislation to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles. But there is another type of zero-emission vehicle that emits only water vapor while carrying you on the road. This hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is related to electric vehicles but has certain differences that make hydrogen vehicles different and much rarer.

Approximately 2.5 million electric vehicles have been sold in the United States to date. By comparison, there could be 15,000 or fewer hydrogen-powered vehicles on U.S. roads by mid-2022. All of these vehicles will be in California, the only state with a network of retail hydrogen fueling stations to make the vehicles available.

Hydrogen Cars Available Now

Since 2015, three hydrogen-powered cars have been offered for sale by three different automobile companies: Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, Hyundai Nexo SUV and Toyota Mirai. However, Honda has now discontinued production of all models of the Clarity and Hyundai has sold less than 1,500 Nexo SUVs so far.

Toyota, the company most committed to hydrogen energy as an alternative to battery-electric vehicles, has sold about 10,700 Mirai sedans over two generations in the U.S. — although it has sometimes resorted to significant discounts to carry them. (Honda does not separate sales of the Clarity Fuel Cell model from plug-in-hybrid and battery-electric Clarity versions).

What is a Hydrogen Car?

A hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV for short) uses the same type of electric motor as battery-electric vehicles to turn the wheels. But it gets its power not from a big, heavy battery, but from a stack of fuel cells where pure hydrogen (H2) passes through a membrane, combines with oxygen (O2) in the air, and produces water vapor as well as the electricity that turns the wheels. This means that a fuel cell vehicle is technically a series hybrid, which is why they are sometimes classified as fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles (FCHEV).

According to scientists, hydrogen is not actually a fuel, but an energy carrier. Ignore that distinction, though, because HFCV drivers fill their vehicles’ carbon fiber high-pressure tanks at “hydrogen fueling stations,” which are very similar in concept to old reliable gas stations and have a similar five-minute refueling time.

Are Hydrogen Cars Safe?

HFCVs are widely considered to be as safe as other automobiles; because high-pressure tanks are designed to survive even the highest-speed impacts without leaking or rupturing. Although hydrogen skeptics routinely cite the Hindenburg explosion of 1937, hydrogen tanks and hardware would likely survive even if the rest of the vehicle were destroyed in an accident. No injuries or deaths specific to hydrogen components have been recorded in the relatively few HFCVs sold to date.

Pros and Cons of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

HFCVs have the same positive characteristics as battery electric vehicles: they have a smooth, quiet and peaceful ride, and they do not emit carbon dioxide or other harmful exhaust from their exhaust, only water vapour. They also lack the charging time problem that electric vehicles have; It only takes about five minutes to refuel for a 300 to 400 mile ride.

But it has a few drawbacks, the most challenging being the availability of hydrogen fuel. According to plans a decade ago, there should have been 100 hydrogen stations in California by now, but in reality the number is about 60.

The biggest problem is that not all of these stations are always online and ready to refuel. You can see how many are live at any given moment by counting the total number of “H70” green dots in the real-time Station Status report maintained by the California Fuel Cell Partnership. Many hydrogen drivers rely on this app to map refueling stops before hitting the road.