Hydrogen Car Goes Down Like the Hindenburg
Hydrogen Car Goes Down Like the Hindenburg: DoE Kills the Program
The dream of hydrogen fuel cell cars has just been put back in the garage. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced yesterday that his department is cutting all funding for hydrogen car research, saying that it won’t be a feasible technology anytime soon. “We asked ourselves, ‘Is it likely in the next 10 or 15, 20 years that we will covert to a hydrogen car economy?’ The answer, we felt, was ‘no,’” Chu said [CNET]. While innovative new cars are a high priority, Chu declared that his department will focus on efforts that may pay off sooner, like plug-in electric cars.
Cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells have been a staple of clean energy dreams, as they’d produce only a trickle of water as a waste product, instead of sooty exhaust and carbon dioxide gas. The retreat from cars powered by fuel cells counters Mr. Bush’s prediction in 2003 that “the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free.” The Energy Department will continue to pay for research into stationary fuel cells, which Dr. Chu said could be used like batteries on the power grid and do not require compact storage of hydrogen [The New York Times].
Buck
The dream of hydrogen fuel cell cars has just been put back in the garage. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced yesterday that his department is cutting all funding for hydrogen car research, saying that it won’t be a feasible technology anytime soon. “We asked ourselves, ‘Is it likely in the next 10 or 15, 20 years that we will covert to a hydrogen car economy?’ The answer, we felt, was ‘no,’” Chu said [CNET]. While innovative new cars are a high priority, Chu declared that his department will focus on efforts that may pay off sooner, like plug-in electric cars.
Cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells have been a staple of clean energy dreams, as they’d produce only a trickle of water as a waste product, instead of sooty exhaust and carbon dioxide gas. The retreat from cars powered by fuel cells counters Mr. Bush’s prediction in 2003 that “the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free.” The Energy Department will continue to pay for research into stationary fuel cells, which Dr. Chu said could be used like batteries on the power grid and do not require compact storage of hydrogen [The New York Times].
Buck
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jon Williamson on
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Fleet and local govt vehicles are they key. Once they are online it's only a matter of time. The city of Dallas just past an ordinance regarding DART buses on CNG. Go to your city council meetings and make them upgrade!!
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Permalink Reply by sesport on -
intrepid - Somewhere around here under one of these topics I believe Les B. referred Cannie to a mapquest feature that gives the locations, on a national level?, of ng equipped refueling stations. Can't fathom why Wal-Mart/Murphy Oil hasn't picked up this ball & run with it.
Most everything I've read re. fleets indicates that refueling will take place at their terminals. The fleets emphasized are city (trash trucks, buses) and school buses. But, you're right, if long haul trucking companies & independents go ng, the number of public access pumps/stations may increase.
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Permalink Reply by intrepid on
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There is a website that gives CNG refueling station locations across the country. And you are right that most are at municipal govt locations.
I did read/hear somewhere that Wal-Mart was looking into maybe making CNG available at some time in the future.
I just think the future should be NOW! Once we get more refueling stations the public will be more likely to demand CNG vehicles.
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Permalink Reply by P.G. on
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Could it be the which comes first thing? The chicken or the egg?
Anyone remember when diesel fuel was generally only available at truck stops? Then as more small non-commercial diesel vehicles were produced, corner gas stations started selling it?
I think Pickens is pretty much dead on with encouraging the truck fleets spearheading CNG for transportation fuel. Investment into fueling stations would become worthwhile considering the volume large trucks consume. Demand for non commercial vehicles would rise once a fuel source was available. Then the corner gas stations would follow once they see all the money the truck stops are making!
But what company in their right mind would invest into fueling stations for vehicles that do not yet exist?
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Permalink Reply by Jaybird on
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I have to say this....if they build it...they will come! LOL I couldn't resist!
Jaybird
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Permalink Reply by P.G. on
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If that were true, Walmart would have already done it wouldn't they?
It's certainly going to have to be a coordinated effort between CNG producers and those who'd be manufacturing the vehicles for it. It's going to take a substantial investment from all concerned. The government could speed things up by allowing tax breaks. Doesn't look like the current political leadership is much in the tax break mindset though.
You think things may go smoother with the government if they put beenie caps on CNG cars so they would have some kind of visible "Green" look about them?
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Permalink Reply by intrepid on
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Obviously Wal-Mart would be looking into it as a future endeavor if CNG vehicles catch on. At least they may be thinking ahead of the curve and may be getting ready to supply fuel.
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Permalink Reply by sesport on
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NG vehicles DO exist ... there probably needs to be a collaborative effort between an automaker & refueling corp. to time it so ng is available.
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Permalink Reply by intrepid on
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They EXIST but they need to catch on with the public. That's why we need the Obama administration to wake up and provide some irresistable tax breaks for CNG vehicles, refueling stations, etc. His goal should be to get the chicken and egg to appear at the same time.
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Permalink Reply by sesport on
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Intrepid - Just read in the article in buck's new post re. Honda that there's a $4,000 incentive for NGVs? I must have missed that somewhere, haven't seen any mention in plans, discussion drafts, erc. of that kind of incentive.
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Permalink Reply by The_Baron on -
The question is, where do you get the Hydrogen?
It takes an unbeleivable amount of electricity to produce hydrogen.
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Permalink Reply by sesport on
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Baron - the article posted states that funding is being cut for hydrogen cell R&D. We're thinking that perhaps this opens the door of opportunity to reappropriate the funding to ngv's.
I believe you're right about not only producing the hydrogen for those cells, but then there would be the costs associated with charging/recharging plug-in HEPV's.
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