A hydrogen power future

Madam, – Gordon Pay’s letter (Viability of electric cars, Courier, September 2) defends the plug-in cars over hydrogen vehicles.

To me his arguments are very much like what we heard from the supporters of word processors in the short time before computers hit the market.

I am not against batteries per se as Mr Pay seems to suggest, but I am totally against the plug-in future he defends.

He states he already has a plug-in car capable of going 150 miles.

Sorry but I am not impressed at all.

There were electric cars in the early 1900s that could boast that.

He states he plugs in for free. How wrong he is.

When he plugs in he connects to a system costing many billions of pounds. On the other end of his wire will more than likely be a nuclear power station.

If everyone were to have plug-in cars it is estimated we would require at least three more nuclear power stations.

As our present ones are nearing the end of their productive lives that means we will have to spend trillions of pounds to ensure that the nuclear energy companies can supply enough energy for the country’s needs.

If batteries are so good why is it that we all have so many issues with our mobile phones and other devices.

I am constantly having to recharge my various gadgets.

A few weeks ago about a million homes were without electricity due to a major power outage.

Would that mean that thousands of people couldn’t get to work or school because their cars had not had their batteries charged.

At a fraction of the cost of nuclear power stations we could have a full infrastructure of hydrogen stations around the country where we could fill up with hydrogen, much as we now do with petrol and diesel.

The only emission would be water vapour and no need for nuclear energy or fossil fuel.

Japan, Germany and California are all committed to a hydrogen future.

Are we to sit back and watch them cash in or are we going to join them in the energy of the future. Harry Key.

20 Mid Street, Largoward.