We all heard about electric cars and hybrid cars and without a doubt, they have become the most viable alternatives so far. However, going under the radar are the hydrogen cars, which have the potential to become the next best thing after gasoline. Hydrogen-powered cars provide people with almost zero emission and unlike electric cars, they are not limited by the size of the batteries. Then again, as an up and coming alternative choice, it also has several issues that need to be addressed before it becomes a major player in the automotive industry. Here are some things that you need to learn about hydrogen as a fuel source.
1.There are two kinds of Hydrogen Vehicles
These days, the easiest way of harnessing the amazing powers of hydrogen is by making it react in the fuel cell. Once that happens, the reaction produces water, heat, and electricity. The electricity from that reaction will now be used to supply the electric motor/s that will drive the vehicle. Another way of doing this is by using a specially-designed hydrogen engine that combusts the hydrogen to create energy. Unfortunately, using the latter is a lot more expensive and is more difficult to manufacture.
2.Hydrogen is not equal to fuel
That may be surprising, but yes it’s true. Hydrogen is technically speaking, not another type of fuel, but an energy carrier. That means, you need to use a little bit of energy to extract hydrogen out of something. These days, you can create hydrogen by using natural gas or turning coal into gas. Another popular way of getting your hands to hydrogen is by separating it from oxygen in water through a process called electrolysis. The best part about hydrogen is that it will never harm the environment. You don’t have to deal with thick smoke from your tail pipe, because it’s perfectly clean.
3. Putting Hydrogen inside a Tank
So if hydrogen is so effective, why are people still stuck with gasoline-powered vehicles? Well, the thing with hydrogen is that it has very low density. That means you have to store it at very low temperatures, so you can compress it as a gas or liquid. The catch is, it’s not easy to do and it’s very expensive. Aside from that, you need to have a lot of space to store it inside a tank. That simply isn’t practical if you’re driving on the road, because you need loads of energy just to compress hydrogen. However, the emergence of fuel cells have paved the way for harnessing the hydrogen’s energy.
4.So What Else?
Despite of these limitations, hydrogen-fueled vehicles have a surge in recent years especially with the invention of hydrogen fuel cells. However, the greatest hurdle for the development of hydrogen-powered cars would be well-established refueling stations. Before people start embracing hydrogen as an alternative way of getting their cars moving, it should be as available as gasoline. Realistically speaking, it will take a lot of time to develop and for sure, it will never happen overnight. Aside from that, hydrogen fuel cells need to be more affordable to encourage people to use them. Right now, hydrogen fuel cells have to use platinum, which does not come cheap at all.
5. Looking at the Future
The truth is, the use of hydrogen hasn’t look this great in decades. It has already attracted several big automakers such as General Motors, Honda, and even BMW. With that being said, the development of hydrogen as a solid source of energy will continue for years.
