Although hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cells could still play an important role in future transportation, even many hydrogen advocates will admit that hydrogen internal combustion probably won’t.
Storing hydrogen in a car still remains a hurdle, so the technology that can go further per precious ounce of hydrogen (that’s fuel cells) is the winner. The Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, for instance, goes 366 miles on its 12.0 pounds of hydrogen, stored at 10,000 psi and requiring three separate cylindrical tanks to maintain a practical enough package.
So go ahead, declare hydrogen internal combustion dead. But we are not ready to make such pronouncements for fuel cells. As the number of electric and electrified vehicles builds, fuel cells might increasingly function as part of the entire electric-vehicle ecosystem; and potentially trading off for batteries in industrial applications, or commercial-vehicle loops, where they could end up being a smart idea after all.
Ceres Power Holdings plc (LON:CWR) is a fuel cell technology and engineering company whose aim is to bring cleaner and cheaper energy to businesses, homes and vehicles. They are working with world-leading partners to embed their SteelCell®technology in mass-market energy products for the commercial, residential and transportation markets.
