Hydrogen vs Battery Cars

Basics

• This page compared electricity and hydrogen as power storage methods for cars
• Also look into Biofuels (use standard combustion engines, can be made from hydrogen (and thus even electricity) via GTL )
• Marcin's Take: Hydrogen will clearly win. Fuel cells are not needed - direct combustion will win

Hydrogen

• Can be done via fuel cell to electric drivetrain, or combustion similar to a standard Internal Combustion Engine powered car

Advantages

• Relitively Quick Refueling
• Higher Capacity/energy Density? (need hard data)
• Easily replaceable storage parts (tanks vs lithium ion batteries)

Disadvantages

• Infastructure
  • Electricity is everywhere, and charging stations are not hard to add
  • Hydrogen alone is uncommon, but can be made relitively easy by steam reforming
  • It then requires compressors and/or cyrogenic coolers
• Storage Methods:
  • Either Ultrahigh Pressure Compression or Cryogenic, both requiring expensive fueling stations, and storage tanks

Electric

Advantages

• No conversions needed (ie no fuel cell or ICE)
• Common Infastructure

Disadvantages

• Expensive batteries
• Slow Recharge Time
• Less Capacity/Energy Density? (need hard data)

External Links

• Why hydrogen cars will be Tesla's biggest threat