Hydrogen Fuel Cells – The Key To Hydrogen Vehicles

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A hydrogen vehicle is simply a car that utilizes hydrogen fuel as motive power instead of gasoline or diesel. Hydrogen fueled vehicles already exist and include space shuttles, cars and other similar transport vehicles. There are also kits available to build a hydrogen vehicle, but the technology is fairly new. Many car owners and mechanics claim that it’s much easier to convert the existing engine to run on water, then to do it with gasoline.

hydrogen vehicles

Although hydrogen vehicles reduce emission and use less fuel than standard gas and diesel powered cars, they also create some pollution due to the reduction in engine heat. Because the engine exhaust doesn’t need to contain any water, there’s no water vapor, and so the exhaust doesn’t need to be vented outside. These benefits, however, aren’t enough to justify the large cost of conversion. The extra costs for battery packs, electric starters and exhaust system modifications will make hydrogen vehicles much more expensive than their gasoline equivalent.

Hydrogen fuel vehicle (also called HHO) is a technology that converts chemical energy in reaction to oxygen in a fuel-based combustion process. The resulting product is water, along with the byproducts of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. In general, hydrogen vehicles use a combination of electricity, water and gas; but the exact makeup of the system, and the exact methods by which it’s used vary by vehicle type and manufacturer.

Hydrogen vehicle sales have surged over the past decade, driven by increasing worries over global warming and the high cost of gasoline. Although the initial purchase cost for most HHO systems may be higher than electric or hybrid vehicle sales, recent advancements in battery technology and battery charging techniques have reduced the cost. The overall cost of ownership for hydrogen vehicles is still quite high, but recent advances have resulted in significant cost reductions. Other factors, such as federal incentives and the availability of cheap, affordable hydrogen and fuel cell cars and parts, have also contributed to the increase in vehicle sales.

One of the most noticeable benefits of hydrogen power cars is the effect they have on a carbon footprint. As electric and hybrid cars continue to become more popular, a large number of people worldwide are choosing hydrogen powered vehicles. Hydrogen powered cars don’t contribute to carbon emissions; in fact, in some cases, they produce less carbon than convention vehicles that burn gasoline completely. When you consider how small a percentage of emissions are actually emitted from gas burning in an automobile, the effect of using HHO and its fellow alternative fuel types on carbon footprints is very noticeable.

Hydrogen cars also offer significant savings in fuel costs. When you drive an electric, hybrid or even gasoline powered car, you are spending a lot of money on constant electricity usage. Hydrogen powered cars on the other hand rely almost entirely on hydrogen energy sources, which are virtually free and abundant. This means that hydrogen vehicles can help reduce global dependence on fossil fuels while simultaneously reducing your monthly fuel bill.

One of the biggest concerns about hydrogen vehicles has been their overall cost and reliability. A major issue has been their ability to generate enough electrical energy to power the car; unfortunately, there have been many costly failures in the attempts to develop a commercial grade electrical motor for the electric motor of a hydrogen vehicle. Luckily, recent advances have helped to develop the technology necessary to manufacture a high quality, reliable electric motor capable of powering a hydrogen vehicle. A high quality electric motor built into a hydrogen vehicle will be much lower in cost and more reliable than any other electric motor currently available.

Hydrogen fueled cars offer a number of benefits over traditional electrically powered cars and also offer much lower maintenance and costs over time. Hydrogen fuel cells eliminate the requirement for expensive refuelling stations and instead allow you to travel with zero emission power only. Building your own hydrogen vehicles can also reduce your annual fuel costs by creating your own electricity from water and using that to power your car. A major hurdle to widespread use of these cars and a main reason why they haven’t been used as a mainstream form of transportation yet is the lack of good infrastructure and the current lack of available charging stations.

Jenn Fontana
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