- Unlike traditional internal combustion engine vehicles that run on gasoline, hydrogen-powered vehicles would run cleanly. Because there is no carbon in the fuel, hydrogen-powered vehicles would not emit any greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are those that contribute to global warming. Instead of emitting pollutants, the only thing that would come out of a hydrogen-powered vehicle's tailpipe would be harmless water vapor. Furthermore, compared to gasoline vehicles, the Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicles Data Center estimates that hydrogen could operate "two to three times more efficiently" than competing technologies. Compared to environmentally friendly electric vehicles, which can take hours to fully recharge, hydrogen-powered cars can be refueled in minutes. They would also require less space to store the necessary hydrogen compared to batteries.
- Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, but it's difficult to store, transfer, generate and handle, which makes its potential as an alternative fuel source more theory than reality. As of 2011, hydrogen is only available as a scientific or industrial chemical product, not as a bulk fuel. Furthermore, hydrogen must be created to be used as fuel. This is done by re-forming water, which can be a tedious and costly process. For these reasons, until a hydrogen fuel manufacturing process is developed, hydrogen as a fuel source will not be able to compete with fossil fuels in terms of availability and affordability.
- To make hydrogen more feasible as an alternative to fossil fuels, researchers have attempted to lock the element in solids. Doing so keeps the gas stable, but many solids can only absorb small amounts of hydrogen. As of March 2011, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy have developed a composite material, made of magnesium and a polymethyl methacrylate polymer, that is able to rapidly absorb and release hydrogen. This discovery helps ensure that hydrogen can be densely and safely stored, but still easily accessed.
- When people think of hydrogen, they might think of hydrogen bombs or the Hindenburg or other ways the element has caused humans harm. This is because the element is very powerful. So in order to safely store it in gas tanks, more durable equipment needs to be developed. This also leads to concerns over whether bulk amounts of the element can be safely transported and whether vehicle failures will increase from using it as an alternative fuel source.
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