Hydrogen Vehicles
Hydrogen vehicles are coming of age. Concept
hydrogen vehicles have been shown and demonstrated
all over the world and even a few orders for production
models have been placed. When President Bush and
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger talk
about the Hydrogen Highway, what they envision
is a hydrogen-based economy with a hydrogen car,
truck or SUV in every garage.
Hydrogen vehicles are not just hydrogen cars,
though. As mentioned, hydrogen vehicles will also
be aircraft, watercraft, trucks, vans, minivans,
SUVs, racecars, tractor trailers, tractors, trains,
mining cars, planes, submarines, boats and ships
of all shapes and sizes. Hydrogen fuel is already
used in NASA's rockets along with experimental
cars, trucks, SUVs, etc. so the future for hydrogen
vehicles is right around the corner. The first
public hydrogen fueling station is being built
in Germany and expected to open in 2007. BMW will
roll out production model hydrogen-powered limousines
in 2007 as well.
Having a highway full of hydrogen-powered cars
and other vehicles assumes that first hydrogen
vehicles will be affordable to the average consumer.
Second, the hydrogen infrastructure must be in
place to support such vehicles and vehicle-owners.
In California, 23 such fueling stations already
exist.
Gasoline stations of the future will be referred
to as 'fueling stations' as not only will they
carry gasoline and hydrogen, but most likely other
fuels as well such as natural gas, ethanol, biodiesel
and other types of fuel that work with an internal
combustion engine and fuel cell engines.
If hydrogen is the perfect fuel (and it is), then why
will there be so many choices in the future? The ascent
from gasoline-powered vehicles to hydrogen-powered vehicles
will most likely not take a straight line. The most
likely scenario to occur is that first hybrid vehicles
go mainstream in the marketplace.
Once again, hybrid vehicles don't just mean hybrid
cars. They also don't necessarily mean gasoline-electric
hybrids. Right now, for instance, there are also
diesel-electric and hydrogen-gasoline vehicles
at least in the prototype stage. In the next few
years, there will most likely be other combinations
of hybrid engines on the market as well such as
E85 hybrids and biofuel hybrids.
In fact, E85 hybrid vehicles will most likely
bridge the gap until hydrogen hybrid vehicles
take over the marketplace. Why go hydrogen when
you have an E85 hybrid? Hydrogen vehicles, whether
powered by hydrogen-burning internal combustion
engines (ICE's) or powered by hydrogen fuel cell
technology, use the most prevalent and cleanest
burning substance in the universe, hydrogen or
H2 at the scientists like to call it. Hydrogen
is made up of two atoms of hydrogen, thus the
H2 and when bonded with oxygen creates H2O or
water.
Water, or steam, is in fact the only byproduct
from a clean-burning hydrogen engine. When you
want to clean up the environment, why not build
a vehicle that lets off a little steam now and
then and nothing else. No harmful carbon dioxide
or monoxide poisons are release into the atmosphere
with a hydrogen vehicle. Going hydrogen means
no greenhouse gases and no contribution to global
warming.
As long as you have a supply of hydrogen with which
to fill up your vehicle's tank, that's all you need.
If it's so simple, why aren't we doing it yet? Because
it's not so simple, yet.
Hydrogen cars and other vehicles currently come in
at about a cool $1 million. Right now California
has about 23 hydrogen fueling stations and some
other states like New York and Florida have a
couple. But, the big technological hold back is
finding a way to manufacturer massive amounts
of hydrogen in a cost effective manner. We have
more information on our inside pages on how this
will need to be done.
It's definitely feasible, but like all emerging
technologies, the entrepreneurs of the world will
need to come to the rescue and invent new ways
to make this happen. Right now, many inventors
have come up with hydrogen
generators for cars that anyone can use on
gasoline or diesel engines to increase gas mileage
and decrease emissions. So, it's not pie-in-the-sky,
nor is it a pipe dream. Remember another pipe
dream called the Internet or perhaps you've heard
of the cell phone?
Naysayers used to say this other radical technology
would not happen in our lifetimes. But, it did.
And the dream of a hydrogen vehicle in every garage
and carport is also a lot closer than you think.
Heck, even Mazda and BMW say they will be bringing
a hydrogen car into the showroom in 2009 geared
for the general public. Honda, GM and a few other
manufacturers are looking at 2010 for doing the
same.
The dream is so much closer than you think. Grab
onto the dream and see where it takes you!
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