Can Hydrogen be used as Fuel?

The use of hydrogen as a fuel for motor vehicles is something that has been discussed in one form or another for just about as long as motor vehicles have existed. The gasoline-driven internal combustion engine has exerted its dominance in the marketplace over time, and as a consequence it will prove difficult to persuade its users to look elsewhere for a method of powering their vehicles. It may become all the more difficult if those of us with an interest in changing the way that we drive cannot come to some coherent consensus on the way forward for motor vehicles. At the moment there are many competing methods which all have their advocates – but it is hard to nail down one specific alternative which has greater backing than all the others. 

There are, perhaps two types of vehicle which have more currency in the modern market than most of the others, at least in terms of publicity. Firstly, we have the hybrid fuel vehicles which benefit from (usually) electricity alongside an internal combustion engine, which allows the driver to disengage the engine when possible in order to save money and emissions. There is also the hydrogen fuel cell, which is viewed by some as superior to the hybrid car due to the greater amount of energy it produces, and the fact that it is even cleaner. Honda is certainly backing the hydrogen cell, having already had a great deal of interest in their FCX Clarity, and there are others keen to follow them. But currently there is some controversy over the feasibility of hydrogen fuel cells. 

In 2003, then-President George W Bush stated a goal to have hydrogen powered cars on America’s roads in significant numbers by the end of the next decade. He pledged a governmental donation of $1.2 billion to make it happen. The decision made a lot of sense – not only would hydrogen-powered cars make the environment cleaner and safer, they would also allow America and other countries to reduce their dependence on foreign oil. In each car would be a miniature power plant, capable of driving an electricity supply when not on the road, so that electrical appliances could be run safely and cleanly outdoors. 

The problem seems to be with the mass production of hydrogen fuel cells. No-one has yet been able to harness the technology in such a way as to make it in any sense practical. With the fact that to make hydrogen cars currently depend on burning natural gas to make it in any way cost-effective, it is not as beneficial for the environment as it seems, and with hybrid technology currently much further advanced than hydrogen, many critics are making it clear now that they simply do not feel there is much of a future in researching and developing hydrogen cars when there is a potentially superior alternative in existence. Continuing research on hydrogen fuel does make sense – as clean hydrogen in a mass-produced setting would be a boon to the environment. But right now, it has its critics.