In 2010, once I wrote my first e book: “Renewable Power–Information and Fantasies,” I needed a chapter on hydrogen fuel-cell autos, and so I turned to the native professional on the topic, Honda’s Steve Ellis. Steve was anxious to advertise his “child,” the Honda FCX Readability, and he figured that my e book was nearly as good a spot as any to make that occur.
But I wasn’t satisfied that hydrogen had a future, due largely to the dearth of fueling infrastructure. The place battery EV house owners can unplug their toasters and plug of their automobiles, that is something however the case with hydrogen.
And now, to not boast, however my prediction has come true: hydrogen-fueled automobiles are flailing out there. From Bloomberg:
Regardless of billions of {dollars} of funding, gas cell automobiles within the US are disappearing within the rearview mirror, overtaken by battery-electric fashions and stalled by hydrogen shortages and hovering gas costs. Final yr, drivers purchased simply 3,143 hydrogen automobiles in California — the one state that sells them — in contrast with 380,000 BEVs.
Hydrogen’s proponents aren’t dropping out. Toyota and Hyundai are pushing gas cell fashions, albeit at heavy reductions, and Honda simply introduced a hydrogen hybrid model of its best-selling CR-V. California continues to construct new infrastructure. However for drivers and would-be automotive patrons, the sensible expertise of going hydrogen-electric is dangerous and getting worse.
My suspicion, and it’s not an unique concept, is that the fossil gas business has been utilizing hydrogen as a crimson herring for the final half century. The oil embargo within the Nineteen Seventies created an crucial for a substitute for petroleum, then Massive Oil (with none sincerity in any respect), instantly started selling its “dedication” to the “hydrogen economic system.” Now, 50 years later, take a look at your social media feed and what ExxonMobil claims to be doing on this house.
It’s nauseating. When it comes to honesty and decency, these individuals make Donald Trump appear to be Mahatma Gandhi.
