Horsepower to HPW to Hydrogen?

[Bgarret]

Wanted to contrast these 2 articles:

1. From our friend Fred and Electrek today regarding the 62% of auto executives who still believe hydrogen is the answer...

Majority of automotive execs still believe battery-powered cars will fail and fuel cells are the future

2. To the environmental disaster automobiles averted last century...(see attached - don't think this is a copyright issue(?)

It is mind boggling to me that 60% of people aren't aware of electric cars and 62% of auto executives believe Hydrogen is the answer to sustainable transportation.

It's as if horse manure is piling up around them and they can't see the solution that is right in front of them.

Until one of the big automakers capitulates, Tesla has the field to themselves.

 

[AB4EJ]

It's going to be decided by the market. Whatever company/companies can bring a vehicle to the market that is better, cheaper, and cheaper to operate (my thinking is something with the specs of a Model 3, except it costs $18k) will have the next generation system.

(Personally, I hope it is not hydrogen, because this is made mostly from natural gas, if you're talking about industrial scale).

 

[Saghost]

It's going to be decided by the market. Whatever company/companies can bring a vehicle to the market that is better, cheaper, and cheaper to operate (my thinking is something with the specs of a Model 3, except it costs $18k) will have the next generation system.

(Personally, I hope it is not hydrogen, because this is made mostly from natural gas, if you're talking about industrial scale).

I'm pretty sure the falling prices of wind and solar are going to kill the hydrogen car.

Hydrogen Steam reformed from Natural gas is competitive on an energy efficiency and GHG basis with electric cars charged from a modern natural gas combined cycle plant - so if the fuel cell costs could match the batteries in cost, an argument could be made in their favor.

Hydrogen from water using electricity from renewable sources is nowhere close to being comparable to electric cars charged from those renewable sources, though. So as we continue to install more solar and wind, and as the costs of batteries and of installing more solar and wind drop, hydrogen cars become progressively less competitive.

And, of course, hydrogen cars and fueling stations are much more dangerous and much less convenient for the non-road trip (and arguably for the road trip as well, especially if/when auto-Valet Supercharging becomes a reality.) Hydrogen fueling stations are also much more expensive to build, and you need a lot more of them.

 

[SwTslaGrl]

It looks to me as a complicated solution for the consumer

BEV -> ICE -> EREV/PHEV -> FCEV
(simple drivetrain -> more complicated solution)