Funding for research into production of the hydrogen car is highly controversial. There are currently less than 200 of these cars operating in the United States.
The issue is the additional funding that will be required to establish fueling stations across the country to support these vehicles. It is currently estimated that an additional $55 billion of government support could be required to make that a reality.
Nevertheless, hydrogen cars might represent the future for automobiles in this country. These cars are fueled with hydrogen gas which combines with oxygen in the air. The only byproduct of this fuel is water vapor. This means that hydrogen fuel cell cars may provide the best means of reaching the goal of emission-free vehicles.
Currently General Motors, Toyota, Honda and Daimler all have hydrogen fuel research programs. General Motors alone has invested $1.5 billion into the research.
According to auto industry sources, hydrogen cars are worth the investment. Both Japan and Germany are investing hundreds of millions in the technology. The Germans have indicated their goal is to build 1,000 fueling stations by 2015.
So far, in the U.S. some of the experimental vehicles already in use cost $300,000 or more, partly because they were not built in mass production.
While the controversy continues, between the Department of Energy, Congressional representatives, the auto industry, and the public, Charles Freese, GM's chief of fuel cell activities, has been quoted as saying, It’s not that far out there.” He noted that with hydrogen cars, the weight of the engines has been significantly reduced and the need for precious metals halved, he said a hydrogen car could be commercialized by 2015.
The reality of hydrogen powered vehicles is really not such a stretch. In Iceland, the first country to begin making a truly concerted effort to break free from the constraints and costs of fossil fuel, hydrogen powered cars and ships are already a reality. Iceland has been working on this technology for years, and does have an advantage over many other countries in the world because so much of the energy sources in Iceland are from renewable sources, such as geo-thermal and hydro-electric power.
Electricity is required to produce the hydrogen cells required to power hydrogen cars, and this has remained the primary roadblock in the United States. However, with all the scientific genius of the world getting behind this technology, it appears that hydrogen cars could become the new wave of fuel efficient vehicles, perhaps sooner than many of us might imagine.
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Written by Shelby Bateson
Posted October 16th, 2009 by Shelby Bateson
