Electric vs Hydrogen Batteries
Electric vs Hydrogen Batteries
Posted on November 9, 2021
Over the past several years, more and more people have started to consider their impact on the environment and done research into, or actually bought, a hybrid vehicle. Hybrids, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and fully electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more and more popular, not only for their environmental sustainability but also their increased fuel economy.
Electric Cars
Electric vehicles run on a battery-powered electric motor and lack an internal combustion engine found in gas-powered vehicles. Conventional EVs, also known as battery-operated EVs (BEVs) are powered the same way as other battery-operated devices, such as cell phones. They are plugged in to recharge the battery.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars
Another kind of electric car is a hydrogen fuel cell car. Instead of running on a battery, it runs on a hydrogen fuel cell. This device takes hydrogen, which is the most abundant element in the world, and generates electricity from it while the car is running. It basically makes electricity as it goes.
Electric vs Hydrogen - Price Point
Electric vehicles are available at varying price points, but they can be found starting around $30,000. Almost every large car manufacturer now offers at least a PHEV model in their lineup, with many, such as Hyundai, Kia, Volvo, and others featuring at least one full EV model.
On the other hand, hydrogen fuel cell cars are scarce and their price point is much higher. A hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, such as the Toyota Mirai, starts between $50,000 and $60,000--a much larger investment than a BEV.
Electric vs Hydrogen - Range
PHEVs only offer driving ranges of up to 60 or so kilometres on an electric charge, but full EVs can offer ranges up to 500km. Teslas and similar full EVs with higher range estimates will also significantly increase the price point for buyers to $60,000 or more.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles offer ranges up to 405km, but they come with one distinct advantage over EVs.
Electric vs Hydrogen - Charging Time
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles take only three to four minutes to fully refuel. This is a gamechanger in that it takes the same amount of time to refuel a hydrogen-powered vehicle as a gas-powered one. On the other hand, when an EV is close to 'empty,' it can take hours, even on a Level 2 charger, to get back to a full charge.
Electric vs Hydrogen Cars
At the moment, electric vehicles are the most advanced and most affordable solution available in today's market to address environmental issues related to global warming and air pollution from gas-powered vehicles. EVs run silently, consume no energy when stationary, produce no exhaust fumes, and can charge anywhere with a three-prong outlet.
Hydrogen fuel cell cars offer a good alternative that require only the most common element in the universe to run. However, the manufacture of such fuel cells and special service station infrastructure will require years and a lot of money to set up.
Both electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are great alternatives to current gas-powered options, but, at the moment, electric vehicles are the best and most common alternative to internal combustion engines.