He has a point, in fact, several points – all good.
First, hydrogen is explosive. It doesn’t just burn. It can explode. Just take a look at those famous pictures of the Hindenburg. As he says, “I can’t wait to see the safety regulations for the hydrogen gas pump.”
Second, there is no distribution system. As Flint points out, all of the various other technologies currently being pursued, whether it’s electric power, diesel technology, or hybrid technology, basically involve the same car as today, with a form of propulsion that uses an existing distribution system for fuel. Hydrogen would require an entirely new system, unlike anything that exists today. The cost of that would be incomprehensible.
Third, hydrogen may be a free ride so far as pollution is concerned – making water rather than CO2 – but it is scarce. Sure, it can be chemically broken out of H2O, but that cannot be done cheaply. So, while it may be a free ride in terms of emissions, it is no more a free ride to get the fuel than it is to drill for the stuff we use now. And that’s not even considering the energy costs associated with creating the hydrogen.
Cost considerations aside, Flint’s point about the explosive character of hydrogen are particularly telling. Toyota, after all, cited safety as one of the reasons it was deferring introduction of a lithium ion battery. Lithium ion batteries create a fire hazard if they internally short-circuit, as Dell discovered. But they don’t explode. Hydrogen does.
Do you think they told Will Farrell about that when they handed him the keys to a Hydrogen 7?
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This article is a disgrace. Way to rely on overdramatization and hyperbole to catch readers’ attention instead of real information.
Do you honestly think that BMW or any other auto manufacturer would go through the millions of dollars to develop, crash-test and execute an expensive production run of vehicles if they were going to explode or pose ANY danger to the driver? Of course not.
Hydrogen vehicles are just as safe as the other vehicles we drive today, and in many ways, safer. Personally, I’d much rather have a well engineered tank of hydrogen that would either stay intact or safely vent the hydrogen in the case of a catastrophic accident than a thin molded plastic or metal tank holding explosive gasoline. Want to learn more? Check out this info on hydrogen safety: http://eneral/factSheets.asp
On distribution, you’re wrong again. Yes, there is work to be done, but the same is true for ethanol, plug-ins and basically any technology that does not use gasoline or electricity. You’re wrong that no distribution network exists.
One hydrogen company makes over 12,000 deliveries each year of hydrogen and there are several other companies in the same position. There are currently 62 hydrogen fueling stations operational in the US alone and you don’t need to build a brand new station. You can add a hydrogen pump instead. Compare the costs of new hydrogen equipment to today’s costs for just keeping the petroleum infrastructure up to date. Hydrogen is more afforable than you think.
There are challenges to be overcome as with any technology, but the hydrogen industry is not starting from zero. Without progress like BMW has made with their production quality Hydrogen 7 today, we will never have the chance to realize the great multitude of benefits that hydrogen technologies have to offer: energy security, environmental sustainability and economic growth.