Karl Benz invented cars in the year of 1885/1886, and since then, they have evolved and have improved in many aspects. Automakers have always been obsessed with making faster, more luxurious, and more efficient cars.
Hydrogen cars work by hydrogen fuel cells creating a chemical reaction between the hydrogen and oxygen from the air to create a chemical reaction that would produce electricity, with the only emission being water.
The electricity produced would then be stored in a battery, where electricity would be used to power the motors to make the car move. Hydrogen is extracted using many methods, one of which is a process known as electrolysis, which is when you apply a current to the water so that the water molecules separate, causing hydrogen molecules to be released from the negatively charged anode, and oxygen is released through the positively charged cathode.
The hydrogen bubbles would then be stored and transported to a hydrogen fueling station, where it would be used by cars. Another type of way to extract hydrogen is steam reforming, which is the process of combining both high-temperature steam with natural gasses.
This process is incredibly inefficient and produces less energy in hydrogen than just burning the natural gasses used for extraction. While the actual fuel cell doesn’t make C02, the process of extracting it through steam reforming does. This technology all sounds great and futuristic, so there remains the question: why has hydrogen not caught on? Well, that is because of two major problems.
Image Source: H2 Station Maps
#1. There are not enough hydrogen fueling stations in the United States or anywhere else in the world, for hydrogen to be feasible. In the U.S, as of January 2021, there were 45 charging stations, most of which were in California.
#2. Getting hydrogen through the process of electrolysis and steam reforming is incredibly inefficient because of both processes and transportation. However, that may begin to change in recent years as more scientists are interested in hydrogen transportation. While someday you may see hydrogen-powered cars hitting the road, it is not the time for hydrogen power to shine.
Source: Nat Geo Kids magazine September 2022 Special Future Issue