Hydrogen/Oxygen Fuel Cells, why are they not used to power automobiles?Also trains, ships, trucks?
They are a very costly option and not overly safe. There are all sorts of technical issues with gas storage and delivery as well. Battery technology has improved to the point where they are now more cost effective and efficient than H/O fuel cells. It is not any kind of conspiracy, just a technology that didn't quite live up to the promises.
Because there are no hydrogen stations to fuel them. As well there are no natural sources of hydrogen on earth. Therefore we have to make hydrogen. There are two ways to make hydrogen. Electrolytic cracking. This uses a lot of electricity and is less efficient than burning oil. Cracking of Natural gas - This method wastes all the carbon in the gas and is way less efficient than burning the natural gas directly.
-Hydrogen is hard to store if not in one of the new methods which is just expensive. -Hydrogen has 1/3 the energy density of hydrocarbon fuels like gasoline. Good if the tank blows up but not for going long distances. -Fuel cells that split the hydrogen
storing Hydrogen is not easy- it's the smallest molecule and it leaks even through steel and need very high pressure. It's used in space rockets, but they have a very high budget. Hydrogen also has to come from somewhere, making it is not cheap either. for now. There is some great research being done though. That being said, it's just a matter of time. Meanwhile electric batteries will fill the gap, even if the electricity is generated by coal- yuk. The best car available now is the Tesla, beats even BMWs
The honda FCX clarity uses fuel cells to power an otherwise electric car. There are about 500 of them and they are only available for lease. The vehicle efficiency is slightly better than a diesel engine vehicle. The vehicle cost is estimated to be somewhere between $100,000 and $1,000,000 each. The vehicle is not quite ready for prime time. As producing and distributing hydrogen represents an entirely different infrastructure it concurrently represents a massive expense. It is therefore far more expensive and difficult than a battery electric car for a slight advantage over a diesel engine.
