Step Away From The Diesel? Audi To Debut Hydrogen Power Q6 h-tron Concept At Detroit

AT THIS TIME, hydrogen as a fuel is a stupid idea for the following reasons:

1) Expensive to convert naturally abundant hydrogen into usable fuel form.

2) Dirty: The hydrogen conversion process usually consumes colossal quantities of electricity, which is typically sourced from burning fossil fuels and/or garbage.

3) Inefficient: You need a huge amount of electricity to convert ambient hydrogen into a usable fuel form, and the resulting hydrogen fuel yields a relatively small amount of energy compared to the amount consumed during the conversion process. You're far, far more efficient just using an EV with ordinary batteries!

4) No Infrastructure: There is currently no infrastructure for converting massive quantities of ambient hydrogen into usable fuel form, storing it, transporting it to retail outlets, and then selling it to users who drive hydrogen powered vehicles. The very few existing hydrogen stations barely qualify as a proof of concept.

5) Range Anxiety: Because of the scarcity of hydrogen filling stations, you better be prepared to live and work within range of the few that do exist. If you think EV drivers have range anxiety, that ain't nuthin' compared to a hydrogen car.

Aside from these reasons, yeah, hydrogen is the fuel of the future... assuming you discount personal fusion reactors ;-)

1. for now, yes
2. Dirty - false unless you include charging EV as also dirty into this argument, isn't the idea to perfect the use of solar for the process, entailing even self generation at home for both vehicles and homes.
3.Not exactly true if the converstion process involve use of solar energy
4 & 5 True - But Isn't the idea to expand the infrastructure
when problem with Hydrogen generation is solved..and if it is solved the range anxiety is removed, the problem returns to pure EV.

I don't know what technology will win in the end, but at least the Japanese, the Germans, and Koreans are exploring all possibilities

mpls: re your "false" assertions and solar solutions -- Perhaps, someday. But today, solar energy accounts for less than 1% of the grid's capacity. I stand behind my statements as being accurate and pertinent to TODAY's realities.

If you want to compare a pure EV to a hydrogen car, then yes, even if we take into account dirty electrical sources, the EV is cleaner because it uses less electricity to charge the batteries to get the same distance as compared to the hugely electric-intensive process of converting hydrogen to a fuel-ready state.

In *MY* mind, it makes no sense to buy a car that's designed for a clean, cheap future (maybe, hopefully, someday), while using it in an expensive, dirty, and impractical "now".

The Third Reich's Hindenburg dabbled in hydrogen...

This seems like a stupendously stupid idea, at least for now. BMW tried this with the 7 series and failed.

Consider the infrastructure: gasoline and (bio)diesel have the greatest infrastructure setup followed by battery then propane and natural gas. Then way the heck down the line is hydrogen. It may one day become a big thing, but not for the next few generations. This is a pointless endeavor right now.

Electric or electric hybrid drivetrains will be the big thing for the next few decades. However, I'll be dead before we run out of oil. What do I care?