Hydrogen fuel-cell technology picking up steam
Its benefits include reduced emission of pollutants both in production and on the road
Electric cars and hybrids dominate the alternative-vehicle space from auto shows, press releases, political speeches or country-specific mandates. But there’s another alternative lurking in the background called hydrogen fuel cells, and according to a recent study by KMPG, 77 per cent of global executives believe fuel cell electric mobility will be the longterm environmental solution.
However, before the world starts getting giddy about hydrogen fuel cells, its path to success faces an uphill battle with extreme infrastructure limitations in today’s current landscape.
Long-term is the key word in that KPMG study, as hydrogen fuel-cell infrastructure isn’t even in the same ballpark as pure electrics, while doubt for the latter still rages. Hydrogen fuel-cell limitations have forced vehicles such as the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota Mirai and Honda Clarity to be regionalized in certain countries, states, or provinces.
No person or company can be certain what the future holds. This has led most automakers to dabble in different alternatives as a way of hedging their bets. That same KPMG study proves that point by citing that 54 per cent of global auto executives are skeptical of battery electric vehicles achieving success due to the aforementioned infrastructure challenges, as well as those faced by long charging times.
Billions of dollars may be now invested in pure electrics, but a subtle push for hydrogen fuel cells has become real without any trace of it going away. At the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January, the push for hydrogen was reflected by the recent reveal of Hyundai’s new fuel-cell SUV called the Nexo.
When the Nexo arrives later this year in California, the utility hauler will sit on its own dedicated platform with a whopping 595-kilometre range that can handle both the extreme heat and cold environments. The advancements in range and technology from the Hyundai Tucson to the Nexo are inspiring for fuelcell technology, and it only enhances its standing in the automotive industry of the future.
Richard Chahine, executive director of the Hydrogen Research Institute at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, believes the future automotive landscape has room for a variety of alternative vehicles.
“There is no silver-bullet solution to the carbon-free transportation sector. Each technology (pure electrics and fuel cells) may have advantages in some segments, but disad- vantages in others.”
Chahine leads an entire university program dedicated to two decades worth of hydrogen research, including collaborations with both Hyundai and Toyota. He doesn’t discount gasoline or pure electrics from being part of the future; rather, he envisions a future where all environmentally friendly powertrains can co-exist.
“Batteries may be advantageous for personal mobility, but heavy commercial usage requires more flexible solutions. Thus battery and fuel-cell technologies should be regarded as complementary and not competing technologies.”
Understanding what hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are Even though hydrogen fuel-cell technology is far away from being globally viable, it’s important to understand what a fuel-cell vehicle (FCV) really is, as well as its significant advantages.
An FCV runs on hydrogen gas as opposed to pure gasoline. By doing so, its biggest advantage comes in the form of no harmful tailpipe emissions — only heat and water are extracted out of the vehicle. This process is achieved through the fuel-cell stack that converts hydrogen gas and oxygen from the air to create electricity, the driving force of the vehicle’s motor.
This process of creating hydrogen from fossil fuels doesn’t come without its fair share of pollutants, but it’s a far cry from what’s now being emit- ted from conventional internal combustion engines.
Another advantage for FCVs is a lower dependence on foreign oil. Hydrogen can be formed from domestic oil sources, such as coal and natural gas, along with water and agricultural waste.
What does the future hold? Hydrogen fuel-cell technology cannot be discounted as a viable environmental solution for the future. It’s backed by many automakers that see its advantages in reducing the emission of pollutants both in production and on the road. In addition, other advantages are found in a quick refuel (less than five minutes), plenty of range, and less hardship towards the city’s infrastructure.
It all sounds great, but major hurdles in infrastructure, durability and costs still need to be tackled. The upcoming Hyundai Nexo and its ability to work in harsher climates is a positive step in eradicating consumer worry, but we still need to see the real version, not simply bold statements from a press conference.
Luckily, time is the one constant hydrogen fuel-cell technology has with a healthy infrastructure years away. For now, many automakers will use pure electrics and hybrids in the forefront of its policies as a stopgap measure, until the time is right for hydrogen fuel-cell technology to be viable for entire countries.