One of the most extensively explored alternate power systems for automobiles are hydrogen fuel cells in vehicles. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars operate by taking oxygen and combining it with hydrogen. The mixture of hydrogen and oxygen is then passed through a catalyst, which breaks it down into protons and electrons, generating energy and power to an electric motor. The only tailpipe emissions are heat and water.
Because of the present oil shortage and the rising costs of fuel importation, hydrogen has now been dubbed as the greatest environment-friendly and renewable fuel. Since hydrogen can be produced from an abundance of sources including coal, oil, biomass, and feed stocks, this allows countries to make and distribute hydrogen from their own natural resources and supplies. Not only will this save money, it will also provide jobs while improving the environment.
It may seem as though they are being introduced just now, but prototypes of hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars actually have been made years ago. Manufacturers are trying to develop practical cars for consumers.
Most of the cars that are being tested have a limited range and storage capacity. These cars are still not yet ready to travel a much further distance.
There are so many reasons why these cars are not yet available to the public. One is the production cost for fuel cells. If hydrogen-powered cars were already for sale today, the amount that buyers would likely have to pay is over $100,000. The reason why it is too pricey is because the technology hasn’t caught up with manufacturing systems yet.
Another problem is the lack of hydrogen-fueling stations. Only the USA, Japan, and the European Union own a few stations. Building hydrogen stations are very expensive that some countries still could not afford it. Since fuel cells are extremely fragile and there are a lot of road hazards people deal with on a daily basis, there will be too much wear and tear on the cells. They still need to be constructed from stronger materials.
Hydrogen fuel cell cars are perceived as a big part of the future as oil-based fuel is rapidly being used up. Hopefully, the prices will come down as manufacturing processes will be refined and new substances used in their catalysts will be discovered.
Hydrogen fuel cell cars, whose only exhaust pipe emission is water, are frequently hailed as one of the great solutions to our energy problems. There are still a lot of hurdles like lowering the cells’ cost, constructing filling stations, and finding green ways to produce hydrogen.
