In terms of how they drive, fuel cell electric vehicles, sometimes abbreviated as FCEVs, work exactly like regular battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs). Electric motors provide power to the wheels and there’s no internal combustion engine. But while BEVs are charged by external power stations, FCEVs bring their powerplant with them, a hydrogen fuel cell.
How Does a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Work?
“Fuel cell” is actually a misnomer. In reality, each FCEVs utilizes a few hundred power devices. Exclusively they don't create a lot of force, so an enormous number are consolidated into what is known as a "stack.”
Compacted hydrogen gas and oxygen are gone through an electrochemical impetus inside the power device stack. The impetus in every cell takes the electrons from the hydrogen iotas. The electrons are gathered in the stack and delivered to move through suitable wiring to control the vehicle's electric engine. A little lithium-particle battery stores any overabundance of power until it is needed–for a quick burst of acceleration when passing, for instance.
Combining hydrogen and oxygen forms water, which is used to cool the fuel cell stack–exciting all those atoms so they’ll free their electrons and heat things up quite a bit. Most of the water turns to steam, and a thin trickle of water and wisps of water vapor are the system’s only emissions.
Hydrogen isn’t the only fuel source that can be used this way, but it’s become the energy carrier of choice because it is easy to strip off its electrons and is the most common element on the planet.
However, hydrogen rarely exists in pure form. Most hydrogen used in the U.S. is produced by breaking down natural gas, a process that requires a lot of electrical power and produces substantial amounts of greenhouse gases.
Numerous studies by independent groups and agencies, including the Argonne National Laboratory, have shown that the environmental impact of producing and using hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles, while greater than using grid electricity to power battery EVs, is less damaging than producing and burning fossil fuels. Hydrogen can also be produced using greener methods such as wind and solar power or breaking down plant materials; they just require more time or cost.
It sounds like an ideal low-emissions power source, but the reality is a little more difficult. Hydrogen is a powerful element, but it is also infamously volatile, hard to store, and expensive to produce.
The History of Fuel Cell Vehicles
Fuel cell technology has existed since English inventor Sir William Grove built the first working hydrogen cell in 1842. However, it took generations of development in electronics and battery science to bring it to the automobile, in part because of questions about how to do it safely.
In 1966, General Motors built the first proper fuel cell-powered passenger vehicle, the GM Electrovan. Based on a full-size passenger van, it had only two seats because the fuel cell system took up almost the entire passenger area. That project was abandoned because of cost, complexity, and the lack of an available fuel supply.
Automakers didn’t return to the idea of hydrogen power again until the early 1990s, with BMW leading the charge.
Instead of a fuel-cell electric vehicle, the German firm tried burning liquefied hydrogen-like gasoline in a beefed-up regular internal combustion engine, a V-12. After a decade of trying with these modified 7 Series sedans, this experiment was also abandoned. Liquid hydrogen didn’t pack gasoline’s punch–those V-12s performed more like anemic V-8s.
Liquefying hydrogen also underlined just how difficult it might be to support such vehicles in the real world. It requires enormously expensive cryogenic freezers, storage tanks, and automated filling systems to protect drivers from coming in contact with the fuel. At minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit, liquid hydrogen will freeze and destroy almost anything organic.
The rest of the industry has concentrated on the hydrogen fuel cell approach. The still-active California Fuel Cell Partnership was formed in 1999 as to facilitate testing and development of FCEVs and most major automakers have been a part of it at one time or another but to date only three have brought fuel cell models to market.
After experimenting with the diminutive Honda FCX from 2002 to 2007, which was not widely available to regular consumers, the automaker launched the original Clarity FCEV in 2008. It was also built in tiny numbers, with just 48 reaching U.S. roads that year, all leased. Hyundai introduced its fuel-cell Tucson SUV in 2014, Toyota launched the Mirai fuel-cell sedan in 2016, and Honda brought the second-generation Clarity FCEV to market in 2017. Hyundai replaced the Tucson FCEV with the Nexo crossover in 2020, and at the same time, Toyota debuted an all-new second-generation Mirai. Honda has just announced that the Clarity FCEV will not continue in 2022.
While all of today’s fuel cell vehicles are considered mass-market production cars, none are available outside of California, and the Honda has never been sold, only leased.
Because their power plants are so specialized, FCEVs are much costlier to build than regular gas-powered cars. Honda dovetailed the current Clarity FCEV with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and fully-electric versions to improve economies of scale and make the cars less expensive for consumers, though it has since stopped building the fully-electric version and is discontinuing all versions of the Clarity this year.
Practical Challenges
The vehicles’ cost is one factor in their limited popularity, but the main reason for such limited availability is the scarcity of hydrogen fueling stations to keep them running. There were 47 public hydrogen stations in the U.S. as 2021 began and all but two, one each in Connecticut and Hawaii, are located in California.
Because there’s so little market for it and because most of it is shipped and stored on site rather than being produced as needed, the economies of scale on producing hydrogen fuel aren’t there yet. The current cost of hydrogen fuel is quite high–around $16 for a kilogram, the equivalent of a gallon of gasoline.
For use as a fuel source, hydrogen gas is compressed, usually at 10,000 psi, and chilled before being pumped into a vehicle’s carbon-fiber reinforced fuel tanks. Today’s hydrogen dispensers look a lot like traditional gasoline pumps–except for the thick filler hose and special nozzle that creates an airtight seal when locked onto the vehicle’s fuel intake.
The fuel cell cars available today cover two to three times the distance per gallon-equivalent that their gasoline-swilling counterparts can manage, however, and the cost of hydrogen fuel is expected to fall if demand increases.
That’s likely to happen because while fuel cells are still struggling to make inroads in the passenger vehicle arena, they have been adopted as a viable power system for long-haul commercial trucks. Fuel cell truck makers including Hyundai and start- up Nikola Motors say they have orders for several thousand.
In the 1960s, Diesel fuel was found mainly at truck stops, but as commercial trucking switched over to diesel, its availability became widespread. The same may happen with hydrogen.
FAQs
QUESTION: HOW DOES A FUEL CELL ELECTRIC VEHICLE WORK?
ANSWER
A fuel cell on board converts hydrogen into electrical energy by way of a chemical reaction.
The hydrogen in the tank fuses chemically with oxygen from the air to make water. In the process, electricity is released and this is used to power an electric motor that drives the vehicle. The only emission is water—and it's so pure you can drink it!
A power module has an anode, a cathode and a layer covered with an impetus. The film is the electrolyte. Hydrogen enters the anode side of the power module and oxygen enters from the cathode side.
At the point when the hydrogen particles come into contact with the impetus, a compound response changes over the energy put away in the hydrogen into an electric flow. An energy unit will make a current as long as it has fuel. At the point when the fuel supply is stopped, the response stops and subsequently, so does the current.
QUESTION: ARE FCEVs GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
ANSWER
FCEVs are energy efficient and have zero tailpipe emissions, other than water. Hydrogen FCEVs significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutants, and are two-to-three times more energy efficient than a combustion engine.
QUESTION: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO FUEL UP?
ANSWER
It costs about the same as gasoline, on a per mile basis. However, automakers like Toyota and Honda are giving the hydrogen away for free for the life of the lease.
QUESTION: WHERE ARE THE STATIONS?
ANSWER
Throughout California, and coming to the East Coast.
Most hydrogen stations are in the big metropolitan areas: Los Angeles, Orange County, and the San Francisco Bay area. Destination stations are in cities that include Santa Barbara, Lake Tahoe/Truckee, the Napa Valley, and San Diego. Connector stations in Sacramento and Harris Ranch help ensure people can use their FCVs just as they do conventional vehicles to drive the length and breadth of California.
At the current pace of construction, California will have about 50 retail hydrogen stations open by the end of 2017, and more under construction. The goal is to have at least 100 hydrogen stations statewide by 2020, which will nearly match the distribution of diesel stations for passenger vehicles.
QUESTION: ARE FUEL CELL VEHICLES AND HYDROGEN SAFE?
ANSWER
Yes, as safe as the vehicles and fuel we use today.
Automakers subject fuel cell vehicle models to broad security testing before delivering them on open streets. Hydrogen is as safe as other transportation fuels, but has different characteristics. For example, it’s lighter than air, odorless, and non-toxic. On the small chance that hydrogen does escape from the vehicle or station, it quickly disperses in the atmosphere.
QUESTION: HOW WELL DOES A FUEL CELL VEHICLE PERFORM?
ANSWER
Great!
In most respects, a fuel cell vehicle drives like a conventional gasoline vehicle. It has power and performance —great pick-up and easily cruises at freeway speeds. FCVs have maximum torque at zero miles per hour, which means powerful acceleration from 0 to 60—and from 30 to 60.
On the inside, FCVs have plenty of space for passengers and cargo. The cars have high-end finishes and advanced technology. The dashboard gauges display driving range, power management and provide feedback about driving style. Many use recycled or recyclable materials in the cabin.
Driving or riding in an FCEV, you do notice a few differences. First, you won’t feel the vehicle change gears when accelerating or climbing hills. Second, the car is very quiet. You don’t realize how loud an engine is until that sound is absent!
QUESTION: WHAT MAINTENANCE DOES A FUEL CELL CAR NEED?
ANSWER
Brakes, air filters, and coolant.
Fuel cell vehicles are electric autos and, therefore, don’t have many moving parts. Which means no oil change, smog test, or replacing belts or spark plugs. Only maintenance is standard wear-and tear-items like brakes, tires, filters, and fluids. But the automakers provide no-cost scheduled maintenance for three years.
BENEFITS OF FUEL CELL ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Fuel cell electric cars powered by hydrogen are zero-emission, zero-petroleum vehicles.
- They have range, refill-time, power and performance similar to conventional vehicles.
- FCEVs and hydrogen fuel will be cost competitive with other options.
- Hydrogen is a clean, efficient fuel that can be made from a variety of domestic resources.
- Fuel cell electric cars are part of the advanced transportation family that includes plug-in electric, biofuels and improved combustion engines. All clean vehicles are necessary to improve our environment and our world.
This blog post on Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles is truly enlightening! It beautifully captures the potential of FCEVs in revolutionizing the automotive industry towards sustainability. The detailed insights into their zero-emission benefits, impressive range, and quick refueling capabilities make a compelling case for their adoption. Thank you for shedding light on how FCEVs can contribute to a cleaner environment and a brighter future. Here's to embracing green technology and paving the way for a more sustainable world!
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