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10 February 2003
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Bush Pushes Hydrogen Cell Cars
President Bush the Younger has announced a $1.2 billion plan to make America's auto fleet run on hydrogen. He hopes that a child born today will take his driving test in a hydrogen cell car. While this promises to be one of the better things to come out of this administration, the problems ahead require a second leap of imagination that the oil men in the White House probably can't make.
First, the good news -- America's Big 3 automakers have prototypes of hydrogen cell fuel cars now. Hydrogen, when burned to make the car go, creates an exhaust of water vapor. If made economically viable, America's need for gasoline will vanish in a decade.
Now, the unpleasant truths -- Hydrogen currently costs 400% more than gasoline to produce, and the fuel cells cost 1,000% more than an internal combustion engine. Also, there are precisely 4 service stations in the US that have hydrogen. Moreover, water vapor is a greenhouse gas, which will not alter the realities of global warming.
Worst, though, is the way hydrogen is made. The gas is generated by splitting the oxygen in water away from the hydrogen by electrolysis. This requires electricity, and electricity in the US is generated by coal, natural gas, oil and nuclear fission. In other words, hydrogen is a way to store energy that is generated by more conventional means. Until and unless solar, wind and nuclear fusion can be made more effective and economical, hydrogen-powered cars will not alter America's environment for the better.