Move Aside EVs; Hydrogen is Coming

It would come to anyone’s surprise that electric vehicles predate internal combustion (IC) engines. In 1899, electric cars outsold both the steam and internal combustion engines. Then, Mr. Henry Ford turned the tide in favor of IC engines, and the rest is history.

In mobility, we are witnessing another turning point with multiple alternatives coming to the front as the world plans to move towards low carbon. Two of the anticipated titans are the BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) and the FCEVs (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles).

Considering that the FCEVs need electricity first to generate Hydrogen as a fuel, and then the Hydrogen is converted to water to generate electricity to run the vehicle, one would say why not just charge your BEV directly to save on the energy wasted in inefficiencies.

Consequently, the race is being won by the EVs at present. While the annual sale of EVs has already crossed 5 million, it is not even 10,000 for FCEVs.

But then, consider the following:

• At present, the majority of hydrogen is produced from hydrocarbons, including natural gas. But, the improvements in renewable energy and water electrolysis are making it possible to extract “green hydrogen” with a zero-carbon footprint.
• Hydrogen can be transported through pipelines and stored to produce more electricity later when renewable power generation dips.
• Hydrogen’s higher energy density and superior storage capabilities can help overcome certain renewable-energy deficiencies, decarbonize hard-to-electrify industrial processes, and accelerate the electrification of heavy-transportation systems.
• Hydrogen’s underlying chemical properties and virtually limitless supply make it a preferred energy-storage medium.
• Hydrogen, as a molecule, can perform several functions that electrons cannot do. For instance, hydrogen can be used interchangeably between renewable energy, chemical feedstock, transport fuel, residential and industrial heat.

It becomes evident that Hydrogen is one of the most plausible alternatives to cleanse the industrial and heavy transport energy needs. But, the question of personal mobility remains unanswered by FCEVs.

Let’s look at the vehicle movement on the roads. Primarily there are two kinds of vehicles based on fuel- gasoline-powered and diesel-powered.

The gasoline-powered vehicles indicate the personal mobility of the world. These vehicles are two-wheelers and four-wheelers, owned mainly by individuals to move around.

The diesel-powered vehicles are synonymous with public mobility, freight transport, and heavy machinery.

The BEVs do address our private mobility needs, though not fully satisfactorily, since range anxiety and charging times remain problematic. However, for heavy freight and industries, all the EV charging network is not going to help. Moreover, the batteries will be limited by energy storage capacity unless a pathbreaking breakthrough in material sciences is achieved.

Hence, Hydrogen will start finding its traction for non-personal mobility purposes, leading to the creation of its own ecosystem and infrastructure. Unlike EVs, the investment in Hydrogen will not be dependent on individual consumers but large enterprises, governments, and freight companies. The infrastructure for Hydrogen would need a generating plant, pipelines, and dispensing stations (sounds familiar?). The infrastructure needed mimics the one we have in place for fossil fuels, thus easy for the energy firms to adapt to.

Once the Hydrogen infrastructure is in place and becomes visible, it will start posing a threat to the BEVs.

The widespread availability of Hydrogen fueling stations, low refueling time, and decent energy density will make the FCEVs a preferred mode of transport for individuals. Of course, the falling prices of vehicles and fuel will also further contribute towards the transition.

To sum it up, initially, both the technologies will play it out in their zones, with the BEVs killing the gasoline vehicles and Hydrogen replacing the diesel ones. Nonetheless, the underdog Hydrogen will start cannibalizing the BEVs once it gets its infrastructure in place. Hence, the BEVs may have another Henry Ford moment in the future.

However, FCEVs have several challenges that need to be resolved before they can truly become vehicles for the masses. Hydrogen gas is explosive and has to be handled carefully, requiring expensive containment. The detractors also quote the inefficiency in the process, since electricity to hydrogen to electricity conversion causes a net loss in power when compared to EVs. At present, most of the hydrogen is produced through fossil fuels since electrolysis through renewable power is still an expensive process, making it not so clean.

At last, whichever way the tide goes, it is going to be positive as far as the reduction in carbon emissions is concerned. A stiff challenge ahead of us is the amount of mining and destruction of ecology that will entail battery-powered vehicles. Lest we come out of a pit only to fall in another. More on this sometime later!