Dude, Where’s My Hydrogen-Powered Car? – EQ Mag Pro

With zero-carbon emissions, hydrogen was supposed to be an energy cure-all. So why aren’t we filling up our cars with it? Dan Neil explains.

HOW GREEN IS MY HYDROGEN? Solar-powered electrolysis is one of the few pathways to producing ‘green’ hydrogen, with virtually zero carbon emissions. Other products are color-coded by process: gray hydrogen refers to H2 produced from steam-methane reforming, without any carbon-capturing mitigation—the most common by far.

IF THIS WERE a party, and you sat down and asked, “Why not hydrogen-powered cars?” you could be in for a long night. May I get you an espresso?

I get this question a lot. People wonder, given the current limits of battery technology, whether a hydrogen-powered car, using a fuel cell device to convert compressed hydrogen into electricity, would have longer range and quicker refill/recharge times…Read More…