Hydrogen Powered Propulsion

Why haven't we seen Cars already with Hydrogen Powered engines?

Surely this is the only viable alternative to Fossil Fuel Vehicles?

I know Hydrogen is very combustible and reactive with Oxygen, but could it nit somehow be handled safely? Or perhaps put in liquid form in order for it to be safely processed?

If Hydrogen has already been used why not widespread?

Please educate me!

They have Hydrogen vehicles already.

Honda has a Hydrogen Fuel cell vehicle called the FCX
Honda FCX

DaimlerChrysler has the F-Cell
Daimler

Morgan Motor company in the UK is developing a Hydrogen sportscar:
timesonline.co.uk

Fiat has the Seicento:
italiancar.com.au

Ford is testing an F-350 hyrdrogen truck:
detnews

There's even a hydrogen powered motorcyle produced by a British company called Intelligent Energy:
ENV (Emissions Neutral Vehicle)



There are a lot of people working on it but it's still going to take a while to make it to the consumer.

Don't you agree it's the perfect solution to the problems of pollution and fossil fuel shortages?

Thanks for all the links

There are still some drawbacks to using them, like they can't start in really cold weather. The Honda's FCX can start in temperatures below freezing but not in temperatures below 10 degrees fahrenheit.

They'll work the issues out eventually I guess but it will probably take time.


There is a different hydrogen vehicle, which has an Internal Combustion Engine and runs on gasseous hydrogen instead of a fuel cell.
Maybe that will have less issues than the fuel cell vehicles.

Also BMW has been developing this tech for quite some time now.

www.bmwusa.com...

A couple of videos here:
Broadband Here
Low-Band Here

Originally posted by Flyboy211
Don't you agree it's the perfect solution to the problems of pollution and fossil fuel shortages?

Thanks for all the links

Absolutely not. Hydrogen is not free. The best way to generate hydrogen for use in a hydrogen powered engine is to use electrolysis of water. The amount of electricity needed to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in water exceeds the amount of available energy in the hydrogen. That means you'd have to use more energy to get hydrogen than you'd get out of the hydrogen.

Maybe if the source of your electricity was hydroelectric this would make some kind of sense, but most people get their electricity from coal (or oil). This means more pollution, not less.

Lastly, if you want to go to fuel cells to get your hydrogen, then yes, you might reduce pollution. But don't forget, the source fuel cells use for hydrogen production is gasoline (although other hydrocarbons, such as methane, could probably be used.) This results in further dependence on fossil fuels. Not a good answer.

Harte

They need to skip hydrogen and go straight to Zero Point Energy or Cold Fusion cars.

Hydrogen is a gas. Gasses like hydrogen have properties that make them extremely difficult to transport. Thus upping the cost for hydrogen fuel for consumers.

One shocking and amazing development in the world of fuel cells is the new water engine developed by, AEC,

www.cleanwatts.com...

The engine is fueled by water in any form, distilled, seawater, freshwater, etc... and the process the engine undertakes on the water creates hydrogen to drive the fuel cell. Quite amazing. Many of the details of how this project works are currently under-wraps, but if this engine can be marketed effectively and is as goods a touted, we could be seeing water powered cars in the next 15 years!

I had better be sooner than 15 years. I think we all need to be driving around in hydrozen powered cars by 2010 or say bye bye earth!

Oh yes we have. BMW concept car, a 302 KMH car on straight Hydrogen and clocked. Actually just last week. BMWs next endeavor will be a joint fuel / hydrogen powered car (until there are hydrogen stations available).

Dallas

They already have a hydrogen gas station near Washington D.C. They've had it for quite a while now and I just saw an ad on TV about it today.

Clicky click!