10-19-2009, 05:32 PM
Hydrogen will never be cheap enough to use in light passenger vehicles.
Right now, with very low natural gas prices (cheapest feedstock), hydrogen still costs $8/kg (gallon of gasoline equivalent), IIRC.
Vehicle-sized fuel cells cost six figures.
The carbon-fiber hydrogen storage tank required for any decent range alone costs as much as a vehicle, and because it must be heavily engineered to contain hydrogen at such high pressure (10,000 psi), probably won't be coming down much in price.
To be fair, if someone could adapt the fuel cells that use natural gas to a version suitable for vehicles, then fuel cells could have a future in transportation.
Right now, with very low natural gas prices (cheapest feedstock), hydrogen still costs $8/kg (gallon of gasoline equivalent), IIRC.
Vehicle-sized fuel cells cost six figures.
The carbon-fiber hydrogen storage tank required for any decent range alone costs as much as a vehicle, and because it must be heavily engineered to contain hydrogen at such high pressure (10,000 psi), probably won't be coming down much in price.
To be fair, if someone could adapt the fuel cells that use natural gas to a version suitable for vehicles, then fuel cells could have a future in transportation.