CelloMom On CarsFeb 12, 2023

The main reason the hydrogen hype is in overdrive: Big Oil n Gas wants to make money converting fossil gas into hydrogen.

"Before looking at why legacy #automotive companies, resource tycoons and the politicians that represent them, have been such huge advocates for hydrogen-powered vehicles, it’s important to firstly outline why #hydrogen cars are so fundamentally flawed and will never come close to competing with #battery electric vehicles."

#EV #EnergyTransition
https://thedriven.io/2023/02/10/the-madness-of-big-autos-push-for-hydrogen-powered-cars/

The madness of Big Auto's push for hydrogen-powered cars

The battle between hydrogen and electric vehicles has been more about preserving entrenched energy monopolies and less about science. The war is now over but some continue to push the hydrogen pipe dream.

The Driven
Show threadCelloMom On CarsFeb 12, 2023

There is a place for #hydrogen. But blindly applying it everywhere turns it into a solution looking for a problem.

"According to the Renewable Energy Institute (REI), a Japanese environmental think tank, this push to use hydrogen in every conceivable energy sector is actually doing more harm than good. "

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/green-tech/a42665011/japan-hydrogen-energy-failure/

Japan Tried to Build a Hydrogen Society. It Backfired Spectacularly.

Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Popular Mechanics
Show threadCelloMom On CarsFeb 12, 2023

Everybody knows - I hope everybody knows - that fully two thirds of the energy you pour into the gasoline / diesel tank of your ICE car gets lost as heat. It's like buying three pounds of vegetables and immediately throwing out two before you start to cook with the remaining pound.

Turns, out, #hydrogen cars have the same inefficiency: 34% - 37%.

Battery e-cars have a 87% efficiency. The same solar field can power nearly three times more EVs than hydrogen cars.

https://thedriven.io/2023/02/10/the-madness-of-big-autos-push-for-hydrogen-powered-cars/

The madness of Big Auto's push for hydrogen-powered cars

The battle between hydrogen and electric vehicles has been more about preserving entrenched energy monopolies and less about science. The war is now over but some continue to push the hydrogen pipe dream.

The Driven
Show threadCelloMom On CarsFeb 12, 2023

And then there's the refueling.

I had hydrogen in my lab: in a little tube charged to "only" 300 psi. The safety officer was all over me (okay, all over my safety procedure).

And society is going to trust me, a mom, usually sleep deprived, distracted by gazillion little things, to refuel a hydrogen car myself without supervision? Welp.

And those hoses and fittings will never leak, right?
Double welp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9xVNI6WE5E&t=42s

How do you fill up a hydrogen car? - DrivingElectric

YouTube
Show threadCelloMom On CarsJul 19, 2023

"A two-year-old project to run 51 #hydrogen #buses in the French city of #Montpellier and its environs has been cancelled for being too #expensive after elected officials realised that #electric buses would be six times cheaper to run.

It is much more efficient and cheaper to pump the #renewable electricity directly into a vehicle #battery."

#EV
https://www.rechargenews.com/energy-transition/french-city-drops-order-for-51-hydrogen-buses-after-realising-electric-ones-six-times-cheaper-to-run/2-1-1143717

French city drops order for 51 hydrogen buses after realising electric ones six times cheaper to run

The $33m green H2 project, launched in Montpellier in 2019 in conjunction with EDF, had already been awarded regional, national and EU funding

rechargenews.com
Show threadCelloMom On CarsJul 20, 2023

It was always the #FossilFuel industry pushing for hydrogen even in places where it makes no sense. Now #DeSmog has the receipts.

"An intensive two-year #lobbying effort by a key #gas boiler industry organisation has been critical of #HeatPumps, and promoted #hydrogen for #HomeHeating to government and opposition parties, despite strong evidence of its unsuitability."

#UK #FossilGas
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/20/gas-boiler-lobby-uk-heat-pump-plans-leak

Gas boiler lobby trying to delay UK’s heat pump plans, leak shows

Trade association, which promotes hydrogen for home heating, called for clean heat market mechanism to be pushed back to 2026

The Guardian
Show threadnyznJul 20, 2023
@CelloMomOnCars Although I usually find myself defending hydrogen, I think your comments and the article you have linked are reasonable. I think it's important to continue developing green hydrogen, and especially hydrogen storage and transport, because it seems like the best solution for heavy industry and heavy/long haul transport. But pushing it now as competition for batteries for cars (and smaller things) seems silly.
Show threadnyznJul 20, 2023
@CelloMomOnCars It is possible that as hydrogen tech and infrastructure develops, for the purpose of the heavy stuff, that there will come a time that the availability of that tech and infrastructure makes it competitive for cars. But that seems like an open question that will take care of itself when/if that time comes.
Show threadnyzn
@CelloMomOnCars And finally, 100% agree with you about the motives of the existing fossil fuel corps to try to preserve centralised control and leverage their fossil fuel infrastructure and stretch out the value of their fossil fuel investments. But I think there's a lot of unhelpful absolutist and misleading anti-hydrogen lobbying from the EV side too.
Jul 20, 2023 at 1:53pmWeb