The future of hydrogen powered transportation looks pretty bleak as owners can’t use their cars.

 

He soon learned that hydrogen refueling stations are scarce and reliably unreliable. He learned that apps to identify broken stations hand out bad information. He learned that the state of California, which is funding the station buildout, is far behind schedule — 200 stations were supposed to be up and running by 2025, but only 54 exist. And since Kiskis bought his car, the price of hydrogen has more than doubled, currently the equivalent of $15 a gallon of gasoline.

 

Bryan Caluwe can relate. The retired Santa Monican bought a Mirai in 2022. He likes his car too. “But it’s been a total inconvenience.” Hydrogen stations “are either down for mechanical reasons, or they’re out of fuel, or, in the case of Shell, they’ve rolled up the carpet and gone home.”
 

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-08-13/class-action-lawsuit-highlights-total-inconvenience-of-refueling-a-hydrogen-fuel-cell-car

• June 18 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge said Tesla (TSLA.O) vehicle owners can pursue a proposed class action accusing billionaire Elon Musk's electric car company of monopolizing markets for repairs and parts, breathing new life into a lawsuit she dismissed last November.

😂 

 

A Toyota hydrogen can get about 65-70 miles on a KG of hydrogen.  So around 50 cents or so a mile in just fuel costs!  You really have to be an AOC green new deal type buffoon to think hydrogen has any future.

It is currently almost 14 times more expensive to drive a Toyota Mirai in California than a comparable Tesla battery-electric car after a massive hydrogen fuel price hike, according to calculations by Hydrogen Insight.

 

 

The state’s largest H2 fuel supplier has hiked its pump price to $36 per kg across all 37 of its filling stations
 

The top 2 worst selling cars in America in 2024 are hydrogen powered.  😂

https://www.motor1.com/news/736063/worst-selling-cars-2024/

Maybe the government should give the states incentives to put in hydrogen stations.  Gas stations would probably be all in to have a hydrogen pump to install when car sales increase.  I see it only takes 3-5 minutes to fill a tank.

Remember when EV people were bitching because there was no where to "fill" their tank and it took too long?  Oh wait, they still are bitching.

 

They should do this but with hydrogen...

https://wmbdradio.com/2024/10/01/us-issues-2-billion-in-ev-tax-rebates-since-jan-1-treasury-says/

Why they doing this with just EV's?  Wonder who's got money invested in this shit that no one wants?

U.S. News

Officials warn that EVs could catch fire if inundated with saltwater from Hurricane Helene

 

 

A partially submerged vehicle sits in flood water from after Hurricane Helene passed the area, Friday, Sept 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

 

By  JOSH FUNK

Updated 3:17 PM CDT, September 27, 2024

Share

Electric vehicles can catch fire if they are inundated by saltwater, so owners who live in the path of a major storm like Hurricane Helene should take precautions and prepare for the possibility that they’ll be unable to charge their cars during a power outage.

What can EV owners do?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged EV owners this week to get their vehicles to higher ground before Hurricane Helene arrived. Although the problem is rare, there have been a number of instances in recent years of electric vehicles igniting after hurricanes.

Keeping electric vehicles out of standing water is the best way to avoid the possibility of a fire.

Tesla offers similar advice about avoiding letting its vehicles become submerged if at all possible, but if that does happen the carmaker suggests towing the vehicle at least 50 feet away from structures or anything combustible until it can be inspected by a mechanic.

The best way to get through a power outage is to follow the same kind of advice your dad may have given you about keeping your gas tank full to make sure you wouldn’t be stranded. Keeping your electric vehicle charged offers the most flexibility.

Of course, electric vehicle owners won’t be able to charge their cars during a power outage, so they may need to watch how much they drive. But EVs aren’t any worse off than conventional vehicles because gas stations can’t pump fuel in a power outage either.

How common are EV fires after flooding?

 

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been researching this problem since it was first seen after Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeast in 2012. But no one seems to have detailed statistics on just how often this happens.

Two years ago, Hurricane Ian compromised the batteries of as may as 5,000 electric vehicles, and 36 of them caught fire.

Several more electric vehicles caught fire in Florida last year after Hurricane Idalia, although that storm was weaker than Ian. Researchers at NHTSA speculated that it may have also helped that more people were aware of the problem and moved their vehicles to higher ground before that storm.

But it happens often enough that Florida officials were worried about the possibility before Hurricane Helene arrived because they were expecting a potentially devastating storm surge up to 20 feet deep in the northwestern part of Florida.

These fires do seem to be linked specifically to saltwater because salt can conduct electricity. Similar problems haven’t been reported after freshwater flooding in California that was driven by heavy rains early this year.

What causes EVs to catch fire?

Electric vehicles with lithium ion batteries can catch fire if the batteries short circuit and start to heat up. Tom Barth with the National Transportation Safety Board said that if the heat starts to spread between different cells in the battery back it can cause a chain reaction called thermal runaway.

“If the saltwater is able to bridge the gap between the positive and negative terminals of battery, then it can cause a short circuit,” said Barth, who is chief of the special investigations branch of the NTSB’s office of highway safety.

Carmakers do design their batteries to try to prevent this problem. There are often separations or insulation barriers between different cells in the battery pack, and manufacturers take steps to keep moisture out. But they do have to include ways for the batteries to vent heat.

“Where it begins to be a problem is if you have the batteries submerged in standing water. That’s where it starts to overcome the moisture seals in the battery,” Barth said.

Sometimes electric vehicles can catch fire long after the floodwaters have receded because even after the water evaporates salt that can conduct electricity may be left behind. So it’s important to have them checked out if they are submerged.

“It’s not like every vehicle that gets flooded is therefore going to ignite and catch fire,” Barth said.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is working to improve battery safety as officials learn more about the problems. The agency has proposed updating some of the safety requirements for electric vehicle batteries to reduce the risks.

Follow AP’s coverage of tropical weather at https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes

Elon Musk won’t make any more Tesla electrics: 

by Sarah I.

 

 10/03/2024

 

in Mobility

 

 

 

 

The Electric Vehicles (EV) pioneer and founder of the multi-billion dollar enterprise Tesla, Elon Musk has announced in June earlier this year a shocking transition of the company. Tesla is a leader in innovative EVs. It is therefore a shock to say the least that Musk has stated that the company will be shifting their focus to hydrogen power. 

 

Once the “dumbest fuel,” now a fuel of the future?

Must has previously stated his criticisms towards hydrogen as an energy storage. In a TV interview, he stated that hydrogen fuel is the “dumbest thing”. However, increasing competition from China’s BYD EVs. The decision was most likely a strategic move to remain competitive as EVs become more prevalent on the road. Hydrogen fuel-cell technology is also being explored by Chin and Japan.

By developing and exploring fuel cell technology, it is not only an evitable decision, but will diversify Tesla’s product offerings and keep them ahead as automobile leaders. The possibilities of fuel-cell technology are incredibly lucrative. Not only are there zero-emission from hydrogen energy with a by product of only water, but it would open up a world of possibility of harnessing pure hydrogen to keep in line with eco-friendly goals.

 

The first fuel-cell powered car is expected to debut in 2026

Not only is the hydrogen exploration a surprise, but a reveal date for their first model is fast approaching. Tesla has set an ambitious date for the release of their first hydrogen powered car by 2026. The model has been dubbed “Model H” and will use advanced fuel-cell technology. Tesla plans on advancing and solving problems with storing hydrogen and its associated infrastructure.

Currently, there are less than 17,000 hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in the U.S. with all of them being in California. California is the only U.S. state with a network of retail hydrogen fueling stations. To make hydrogen powered cars more prevalent, new infrastructure will have to be developed to support the novel technology. Previously, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota were the only companies with hydrogen powered commercial vehicles available.

 

How does a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle actually work?

The electric motor in hydrogen fuel-cell cars is the same technology which is used in EVs to turn the wheels of a car. The difference is, instead of being powered by a battery, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are powered by fuel-cell stack where pure hydrogen passes through a membrane to combine with oxygen from the air. This produces electricity to turn the wheels. Water vapor is the only by product of the process. Drivers would need to refill their vehicles with carbon-fiber high-pressure tanks at “hydrogen fueling stations”.

The trouble is, to create pure hydrogen to power the fuel-cell, we would need to use a considerable amount of energy to harness this hydrogen from a compound. Pure hydrogen by itself is very difficult to find in nature. We usually find it bonded to another element as it has a strong propensity to bind with anything. This makes it such a good energy carrier. This cracking process however would release carbon dioxide as a by-product.

The possibilities of hydrogen technology are attractive, but there is still a long way to go with regards to a vehicle running on hydrogen only. Toyota’s current hydrogen vehicles incorporate a battery to help the car accelerate. Hydrogen power works best at constant speeds and not  off of differing magnitudes of speeds which a commercial vehicle commands.

Tesla has long dominated the EV market with their innovative and futuristic technology. Tesla is sure to contribute significantly to hydrogen fuel-cell technology. We may see a pure hydrogen powered vehicle on the road sooner than we think.