drewchie

The article on the front page raises some questions...

Link to article

Is the world ready for a new type of automotive fuel?

Is this just another fad?

Would you buy a fuel cell vehicle?

and lots more...

what do you think about the futurre of fuel cell technology?

Sound off!!! What do you think?

eaturner

I would buy a fuel cell vehicle in a minute. Only problem for me is I don't have natural gas at home, just oil. We just need someone like Honda to start introducting these types of cars and the rest of the automakers will be forced to do it. Consider the number of hybrid vehicles out now and the incredible demand for them, even though unless you drive it for like 15 years you won't get your money back in gas savings. This is just the beginning, but reducing our dependance on oil and the foreign nations that produce it is vital to our country. The US may make great headway towards a greener economy however, we need countries like India and China to follow our lead or we'll be doing little to help the environment. We need those countries to make environmental laws like we have to level the playing field, stop our jobs from heading to these countries because they can produce things/services cheaper, partly because of the lack of environmental laws they have. I'm ready Honda, I'll buy one so bring it on. Of course, I'm not selling my s2000 till they have a replacement that is as good or better!

curiouz_G

meh.





so how much will it cost when its released? and how much will the maint. be if it breaks down?

Malloric

It's really not a "new" automotive fuel nor is the car zero emission. You're simply replacing when you burn fossil fuels. You've taken out the internal combustion engine from the car and replaced it with a hydrogen fuel cell stack that is recharged by burning fossil fuels (mostly). Since the internal combustion engines in cars are ridiculously inefficient and dirty when compared to gas or new coal plants (but nobody builds them, due to loopholes for "retrofitting" older plants) it makes sense. Ultimately, it's a stop-gap measure until the larger issue of a renewable/green energy source is addressed.

Cubs2k

I don't think an Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle has a chance in this country and it certainly doesn't help the environment or our dependence on fossil fuels.......

Hydrogen is not compatible with any exsisting infrastructure, and the building costs are prohibitive.

Hydrogen is not an energy source, but a carrier (like a battery). Hyrdogen is created via electrolysis. Since approx. 50% of US electrical power is coal.....you are swapping one fossil fuel for another.

I think the only true direction is going to be efficiency in energy usage and renewable sources.

hydrogen is a middleman.....f the middleman

Legal Bill

I don't understand how the natural gas in my home is converted to hydrogen with no by-products other than water. There must be other byproducts. You can't take a hydrocarbon like natural gas and seperate out hydrogen and water and not have a bunch of left over carbon molecules that are going to want to combine with O2 to form carbon dioxide.

gomarlins3

I am interested, but the cost will be an issue. The Insight has 93,000 miles on it now, so we will be looking at something to replace it with in a few years.

Cubs2k

Bill,

If I'm not mistaken, Natural Gas Fuel Cells produce, CO2 as well as Water waste.

mayanh8

Hydrogen fueled cars have no future at all. None whatsoever. The amount of power it takes for a hydrogen plant to rip enough hydrogen from water to power a car is equal to the amount of power it takes to run a small town for a day.

The only way hydro cars would make any sense is if some Einstein came around and revolutionized the way we harvest hydrogen.

As for current workable alternatives to fossil fuel cars... electric cars seem to be the most practicle. That and renewable fuels like ethanol.

Cubs2k

Here is a cool idea......electric car the uses conventional batteries, but gets continuous charging with RTG.

I don't think current RTG technology can power a car alone, but may be able to sustain cruise speed and can recharge batteries during down time.

Most of these things can supply 80% power after 20 years. So they can be "owned" and used in different vehicles.

Plus because there is nuclear fuel involved, stealing a persons car could be a federal offfence punishable by death!

Some intersting design merits....but sadly not in the world we live in.