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Hydrogen fuel cells: Have hydrogen cars flopped?
Hydrogen cars were once entitled ‘the future of driving’, but is that still true? Watch our video and find out whether we’ll be seeing more hydrogen powered cars on our UK roads in the future.
Words by: Lex Kristan
Published on 17 February 2022 | 0 min read
Hydrogen cars aren’t a new concept. Car manufacturers have spent years attempting to crack the code to efficiently use hydrogen to power our vehicles, but progress has been slow compared to that of electric cars.
Cutting carbon emissions is currently a primary goal within the automotive industry, and hydrogen fuel cell technology has been proven to emit no harmful gases via the exhaust into the atmosphere, yet where are all the hydrogen cars we were told would be driving on our roads by now? Over 190,000 electric cars were sold in the UK alone in 2021, with hundreds of models to choose from across a variety of brands. Sales of hydrogen cars, on the other hand, have paled in comparison. There are currently only two hydrogen cars available in the UK automotive market: the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai NEXO, which sold a total of 15,538 units worldwide last year. However, the Winter Olympics 2022 in China have showcased that hydrogen-powered vehicles are a viable alternative to their electric counterparts, with over 800 hydrogen buses and thousands of hydrogen cars serving the Olympics and the Zhangjiakou area proudly, so why haven’t they taken off in the UK?
Cutting carbon emissions is currently a primary goal within the automotive industry, and hydrogen fuel cell technology has been proven to emit no harmful gases via the exhaust into the atmosphere, yet where are all the hydrogen cars we were told would be driving on our roads by now? Over 190,000 electric cars were sold in the UK alone in 2021, with hundreds of models to choose from across a variety of brands. Sales of hydrogen cars, on the other hand, have paled in comparison. There are currently only two hydrogen cars available in the UK automotive market: the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai NEXO, which sold a total of 15,538 units worldwide last year. However, the Winter Olympics 2022 in China have showcased that hydrogen-powered vehicles are a viable alternative to their electric counterparts, with over 800 hydrogen buses and thousands of hydrogen cars serving the Olympics and the Zhangjiakou area proudly, so why haven’t they taken off in the UK?
What is stalling the adoption of hydrogen powered cars in the UK?
The adoption of electric cars in the UK has gained momentum over the last year or two, with charging networks popping up across the country, but when’s the last time you saw a hydrogen refuelling station?
Currently, there are only 14 hydrogen refuelling stations across the whole of the UK, compared to over 42,000 electric charge points currently available. If hydrogen cars are to become as accessible as electric vehicles, infrastructure must be improved, and hydrogen refuelling stations need to be made readily available nationwide. Another argument that’s often made against hydrogen cars is that they’re less efficient than electric cars. That’s because the hydrogen required to power the vehicle isn’t naturally occurring, meaning it has to be extracted then compressed for use in fuel tanks. This hydrogen then must be mixed with oxygen inside a fuel cell to create electricity to power the car. Throughout this process, efficiency is reduced dramatically when compared with recharging electric cars, whereby the electricity is transferred via the mains. However, what is lost in efficiency could be made up for in sustainability. Hydrogen is the cleanest fuel possible, emitting only water from the tailpipe. The production of lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars emits several tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, due to the energy required for the extraction of the raw materials. Therefore, even if an electric car is charged using zero-emission sources over its lifetime, it will still contribute to overall CO2 emissions. Learn more about hydrogen cars and how they work here.
Currently, there are only 14 hydrogen refuelling stations across the whole of the UK, compared to over 42,000 electric charge points currently available. If hydrogen cars are to become as accessible as electric vehicles, infrastructure must be improved, and hydrogen refuelling stations need to be made readily available nationwide. Another argument that’s often made against hydrogen cars is that they’re less efficient than electric cars. That’s because the hydrogen required to power the vehicle isn’t naturally occurring, meaning it has to be extracted then compressed for use in fuel tanks. This hydrogen then must be mixed with oxygen inside a fuel cell to create electricity to power the car. Throughout this process, efficiency is reduced dramatically when compared with recharging electric cars, whereby the electricity is transferred via the mains. However, what is lost in efficiency could be made up for in sustainability. Hydrogen is the cleanest fuel possible, emitting only water from the tailpipe. The production of lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars emits several tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, due to the energy required for the extraction of the raw materials. Therefore, even if an electric car is charged using zero-emission sources over its lifetime, it will still contribute to overall CO2 emissions. Learn more about hydrogen cars and how they work here.
Advantages of Hydrogen cars
Hydrogen cars have several advantages over similar petrol or diesel models:
• Hydrogen fuel cells produce no exhaust emissions apart from water, so it’s a clean way to power a vehicle. • Hydrogen-powered vehicles are lighter than conventional cars, so they use less energy when driven. • Hydrogen cars can accelerate faster than typical petrol or diesel cars. • Akin to a spare tyre, or a spare battery, the hydrogen tanks in the vehicle allow for the gas to be stored for later use, so refuelling is less of a worry.
• Hydrogen fuel cells produce no exhaust emissions apart from water, so it’s a clean way to power a vehicle. • Hydrogen-powered vehicles are lighter than conventional cars, so they use less energy when driven. • Hydrogen cars can accelerate faster than typical petrol or diesel cars. • Akin to a spare tyre, or a spare battery, the hydrogen tanks in the vehicle allow for the gas to be stored for later use, so refuelling is less of a worry.
Disadvantages of hydrogen cars
As with anything, hydrogen cars also come with their own disadvantages:
• Not enough hydrogen refuelling stations – As there are only 14 refuelling stations nationwide, driving a hydrogen car in the UK wouldn’t be a practical option unless you’re local to one. • Hydrogen-powered vehicles require more manufacturing materials than electric cars, so although there are no harmful emissions from the exhaust, hydrogen cars have an increased impact on the environment during their lifecycle. • The production of hydrogen is less efficient than the production of electricity.
• Not enough hydrogen refuelling stations – As there are only 14 refuelling stations nationwide, driving a hydrogen car in the UK wouldn’t be a practical option unless you’re local to one. • Hydrogen-powered vehicles require more manufacturing materials than electric cars, so although there are no harmful emissions from the exhaust, hydrogen cars have an increased impact on the environment during their lifecycle. • The production of hydrogen is less efficient than the production of electricity.
What’s the future for hydrogen cars?
Whilst the hype for hydrogen cars hasn’t quite caught on in the UK yet, countries such as China have spent millions investing in hydrogen technology, which is believed to be an industry with limitless potential.
Compared to electric cars, whose batteries can deplete faster in cold weather, hydrogen cars are better suited for wintry climates like Zhangjiakou, where temperatures during the winter Olympics have plummeted to a freezing cold minus 17°C, so it’s likely that hydrogen-powered vehicles could be adopted faster in colder regions first. Regardless, hydrogen could be a vital key in creating a truly sustainable automotive market. What do you think? Watch our video and sound off in the comments.
Compared to electric cars, whose batteries can deplete faster in cold weather, hydrogen cars are better suited for wintry climates like Zhangjiakou, where temperatures during the winter Olympics have plummeted to a freezing cold minus 17°C, so it’s likely that hydrogen-powered vehicles could be adopted faster in colder regions first. Regardless, hydrogen could be a vital key in creating a truly sustainable automotive market. What do you think? Watch our video and sound off in the comments.