Skip to main content

What happened to Hydrogen FCVs?

At the turn of the century, the world was at the threshold of two sustainable solutions to power cars – hydrogen fuel cells and electric batteries. In fact, electric car technology was fraught with inefficiencies and the cars born out of this were deplorable to say the least. These being early hybrids like the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight. Eco image aside, these were pretty much portable washing machines.  On the other hand, cars like the Honda FCX Clarity and Toyota Mirai, both hydrogen powered, were ushered in as the new hope in keeping the automobile relevant going forward.
The situation now though, has completely turned on its head, Elon Musk and his firm, Tesla, have captured imaginations the world over – be it the general public, automakers or governments. This is also entirely due to approaching the problem from a completely different viewpoint. Rather than path-breaking tech. Tesla used already existing technology, be it the motors, the batteries, design, packaging or connectivity and consistently improved on the efficiency and quality.
Honda Clarity
Credits: Drivetribe
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles though, on the other hand, seem to have fallen out of favour. Most firms have shifted focus to electric cars. A few exceptions are the original pioneers of this tech, Honda & Toyota and a handful of small start-up car makers whose ability to deliver is usually always under question. This may seem perplexing a first, given the fact that a vehicle whose only emissions are water vapour is pretty much an eco-evangelist’s wet dream. And, this is over and above the added benefits of these cars over electric cars, which include better range, a conventional and far quicker refueling process and consistent power delivery irrespective of ambient conditions.
However, this tail off in development of hydrogen FCVs is not surprising given the fact that pure hydrogen (not in a compound) is very difficult to find. A secondary energy source is needed to to power the process of separation from other compounds. This makes the production costs skyrocket. Further issues include the fact that the hydrogen fuel cell is an extremely complex piece of kit as compared to a straight forward lithium ion battery. Other problems include the complexities of storing hydrogen on board the vehicle as well as the infrastructure needed to set up a network of hydrogen fueling stations. On a more personal note, the styling of hydrogen FCVs presently available in the market, the Honda Clarity and the Toyota Mirai is too 80’s sci-fi to be likable by a sizable
portion of the mainstream car buying audience.
It is safe to say that this tech is not without its drawbacks, as is and was largely the case with electric cars and hybrids some time ago. However, this technology is of immense interest and scope to the auto industry. A bit more positive PR and some sizable investment and R&D along with some inspired entrepreneurship, and this tech could very easily supersede electric cars in the future.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Honda Revival

Of all the major Japanese manufacturers, it is safe to say that Honda has been most committed to creating a legacy for itself in the world of motorsport. This can be put down to the fact that Soichiro Honda, the founder and an automotive genius, consistently believed motorsport success to be the pinnacle of achievement for any auto manufacturer. And this is showcased no better than by Honda’s journey in F1. The Honda RA271, a works effort, became the first Japanese car to race in F1 in 1964. This was followed by their first GP win in Mexico in ’65 with the RA272. A string of consistent performances followed up to 1969. After a 15-year hiatus, the team returned in 1983 as an engine supplier in what was its most successful stint. Honda supplied its engines to six consecutive constructor champions as well as five consecutive driver championships, of which three came from the iconic McLaren-Honda-Senna combination. And all of this was not just a brand-building exercise, Soichiro
Post a Comment
Read more

The Maruti 800: A Social Icon

The automobile industry in India prior to the 1980s was in complete shambles. The only two manufacturers of note were Premier Automobiles in Mumbai and Hindustan Motors in Kolkata. They manufactured the Premier Padmini and the Hindustan Ambassador respectively. The Premier Padmini was based on the Fiat 1100, a car first sold in the 1950s while the Ambassador was little more than a Morris Oxford, a car sold in post-war England. As such, by the 1980s both these cars were hopelessly outdated. However, the buyers did not really have any other options. This was the era of the License Raj. The waiting period stretched into years and the shortage was so acute that used examples were sold at a premium. However, all this changed with the introduction of the 800 by Maruti Suzuki in 1983. The Maruti 800 was everything the Ambassador and the Padmini weren’t. It was small, nimble, efficient and reliable. It was up to date with the latest in Japanese technology and most importantly it was chea
1 comment
Read more

Three Boxes or Two?

The Indian car buyer’s affinity towards sedans is well documented. Roughly one in every four cars sold here in September 2017 was a sedan and the largest selling car in that period was the Maruti Dzire, a sub-four meter saloon. The reason behind this popularity is simple, owning a sedan has traditionally been a sign of growing prosperity and improved social stature. This mindset is a legacy of the Indian car industry during the License Raj: where the Hindustan Ambassador and Premier Padmini (both sedans) were a symbol of power as well as prosperity. Lately, things have been changing. Newer car buyers are ready to forgo the perceived benefits of a sedan and instead opt for a premium hatchback. This trend was first seen with the launch of the Maruti Swift in 2005 and has now grown to become an entirely new segment with competent players like the Maruti Baleno, Hyundai i20 and the Honda Jazz. Interestingly, the Swift itself now fits in a segment lower than the one it helped create. Ha
1 comment
Read more