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11 March 2021

Hydrogen, a future solution?

Still very little known, hydrogen automotive technology is seen by many as a solution of the future that goes beyond the advantages of electric cars.

To operate, the hydrogen vehicle uses a fuel cell which converts hydrogen into electricity and thus powers the engine. When braking, energy is recovered, stored in a battery and reused during start-up.

Comment fonctionnent les voitures à hydrogène ?Source: The Conversation

Hydrogen has many advantages. From an environmental point of view, we can say that this is ideal because this type of engine does not emit CO2, the hydrogen only releases water vapor into the air. In terms of recharging, hydrogen is very fast. Unlike an electric car, a hydrogen vehicle only needs a few minutes to refuel. It is also possible to recover the heat which is released from the operation of the fuel cell, in order to heat the passenger compartment in winter without having to use the battery.

Premier vrai test d'un véhicule à hydrogène, pas très convaincant | Auto |  Le Soleil - QuébecSource:LeSoleil

However, there are still some issues related to this technology. First, the price of hydrogen cars is extremely high. The materials needed to make the fuel cell, such as platinum, are very expensive and there are still very few models released and available on the market – driving up the price of vehicles. In addition, the large-scale deployment of this technology will require significant investments in infrastructure, distribution and dedicated charging stations for hydrogen vehicles.

La voiture à hydrogène débarque au Québec | L'actualitéSource:L’actualité

Hydrogen-powered cars seem to be a very promising alternative – silent and without emission of polluting gases – this technology gives hope and makes it possible to envisage sustainable and environmentally friendly mobility.