“So Why the Hydrogen Hype?”
For what seems to be the vast majority of people, as soon as you mention Hydrogen cars, they immediately conjure some false image of a road full of miniature Hindenburg blimps exploding in unison. First off, the Hindenburg didn’t burn because of hydrogen; it burned because of the weatherproofing paint that was applied to the skin of the blimp. Second, if there was a chance of explosion do you really think there would be any viability at all in the concept? Toyota recently fired bullets as large as .50 caliber at their Hydrogen fuel cells in a testing display that I can only dream was supervised by Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty, and they barely made a dent.
“So where do we get Hydrogen?” Hydrogen is actually an element; the most abundant element in the universe to be exact. Hydrogen accounts for ¾ of all known matter. That being said, you can’t just stick a hose up in the air and suck in some hydrogen and put it in your tank. Hydrogen gas can be produced from several different sources through several different techniques. The good news is that when using renewable sources like solar or wind technology, hydrogen technically becomes the rare and magical “Renewable Fuel Source” that everyone claims to be looking for.
Even something as promising as renewable fuel and zero emissions has its critics of course, namely their competitors. Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla Motors and third runner-up for “Weirdest Name of the Year”, is adamant about pointing out that fuel cell technology is “Bulls—t”. He claims that when it comes to range and availability, nothing touches the lithium ion batteries he uses in his luxury golf cart of a vehicle. I guess if you can just ignore the fact that electric cars use a power grid that is dominated by the burning of fossil fuels, then yeah, they are as green as can be. Just because they don’t burn gas doesn’t mean they aren’t reliant on fossil fuels, it just means you get to ignore that part of the process to make yourself feel better for driving a golf cart to work.
Manufacturers like Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, and BMW are already getting ready to ship fuel cell vehicles as soon as 2015. Not simply because crazy ol’ California told them to, but because the technology is another step in the right direction to a freedom from fossil fuels and the environmental impact of their use. Companies like Hydrapower are already developing methods to produce hydrogen gas using renewable energy sources (solar power). With a little patience, intelligent development and industry support hydrogen fuel cells are poised to be the first free-standing, renewable, and readily available alternative fuel source. So let this Texan be the first to tip his hat to California for reviving the “Hydrogen Highway”, and taking a big step in promoting fuel cell technology.