For years now, hydrogen powered vehicles have been lauded as the way of the future. Hydrogen, as a fuel source, can be harnessed in very clean and fairly efficient situations. The major setback to hydrogen fuel, however, is obtaining the hydrogen. Current processes for acquiring hydrogen actually require more energy and produce more harmful emissions than combustion engines, a serious flaw that has many environmentalists balking at the idea altogether.
Like many green technologies, though, hydrogen and fuel cell technology is still in its infancy, particularly on the consumer level. As of April, 2007, there were only 200 recorded hydrogen vehicles in the United States. Until we see a significant increase in storage capacity, a drop in the cost of fuel cell technology, and cheaper methods for extracting hydrogen, we’re unlikely to see that number increase. Many researchers argue that the biggest setback to the hydrogen infrastructure is modeling it after the existing petroleum system instead of developing a new system.
Sites Worth Visiting
EV World: Hydrogen
EV World is a virtual compendium for developing alternative fuel technologies. The writing on the site leaves more than a little to be desired, but it is, nonetheless, an excellent resource. What their own hydrogen site lacks in information it makes up for in news feeds. They’ll keep you current on the latest developments from the hydrogen fuel front.
Hydrogen Vehicles at Wikipedia
The Hydrogen Vehicle page at Wikipedia is one of the better resources on the web for a technology that few write about and plenty of people don’t really understand. The site covers everything from the various forms of hydrogen fuel to the political concerns and lobbying that has occurred surrounding hydrogen.
Blogs and Community Sites
Hydrogen Cars Now
This blog sports a clean design and smart writing with archives back to April 2006. The site has plenty of its own bias, owing to the author’s fascination with hydrogen fuel technology, but that’s nothing we can’t get past to keep up to date on the latest hydrogen news.
Hybrid Car Blog
This blog does a better job of covering the constant change in the green market than any other we’ve found. The site has been around since 2004, with news on everything from pure electric to fuel cell vehicles. Most importantly, the site is run by an industry insider, meaning the news comes back from the biggest shows and premier news conferences.
Alternative Fuels Forum at Edmunds
Unfortunately there is no central forum for information and discussion concerning the development of alternative technologies, so keyword generated forums are the best we can do. This site pulls hot topics concerning alternative technologies from the Edmunds forums, and you can bet there’s plenty of hydro info in there. It’s a good spot to check back from time to time. Though there are few posts, the good ones get a lot of hits.
For Hydrogen Storage, Instability Is King
It seems counterintuitive to wish for an unstable system capable of storing hydrogen, but that’s exactly what scientists have been looking for. The problem with stable storage systems is that they’re too good at keeping the hydrogen, meaning they won’t release the element without significant prodding. A less stable storage compound, lithium borohydride, could provide the type of hydrogen storage necessary for use in consumer vehicles.
Hydro-Powered Equinox Reinforces Hydrogen Concerns
Jay Hancock at the Baltimore Sun got to drive one of Chevy’s new hydro-powered Equinox’s recently. Exciting? Of course, but are we really much closer to a hydrogen highway? Hancock’s article reviews not only the car, but what it will take for hydrogen to become practical.
Hydrogen Doing Well In An Impatient Market
As much as we’ve griped on this page about the pace of development and the high cost of hydrogen ownership, truth is the technology is doing quite well. Unfortunately, the market forces that have consumers so excited about alternative technology are developing and changing things faster than science can keep up. This article is all about the successes we’ve seen from hydrogen vehicles, and what’s bound to come up next.