PowerSwitch

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/11/21/112320/99

GristMill - 22/11/07

Ballard -- the Canadian fuel-cell company that once hoped to be the "Intel Inside of the hydrogen car revolution -- has sold off its automotive fuel-cell business to Daimler and Ford.............

Hykaway, like most independent observers of the automobile industry, is far more realistic about hydrogen than most advocates:

"In my view, the hydrogen car was never alive. The problem was never could you build a fuel cell that would consume hydrogen, produce electricity, and fit in a car. The problem was always, can you make hydrogen fuel at a price point that makes any sense to anybody. And the answer to that to date has been no".

Article continues ...

All together now .............. "WE TOLD YOU SO"

Hmmm, read down the blog Aurora - seem to be a bit of an ongoing discussion in there......

Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

My exact thought when reading the above . . .

Hydrogen cars are most certainly alive. Mazda's had a working RX-8 hydrogen hybrid since at least 2003 and may have had RX-7 prototypes long before then. Of course these are running straight hydrogen and not hydrogen fuel cells. These RX-8's have been sold in several countries. They're not taking off just yet since the technology is still new, the hydrogen mode of the engine only produces around 105-120HP compared with the engine's gasoline output of around 250HP. Rotary engine's have always been regarded as being more suitable for hydrogen use than piston based engines.

But I'm not sure if I'd feel safe driving around with a canister of hydrogen behind me pressurized to 5000 psi.

With the last few years advancements in solar technology it might become viable to produce hydrogen via electrolysis. Last I heard the fuel still cost more electricity to produce than it was worth. But with organic solar panels or wind turbines providing the electricity? Who knows. It may become viable.

The problem was always, can you make hydrogen fuel at a price point that makes any sense to anybody. And the answer to that to date has been no".

Honda leasing 200 hydrogen civics to hollywood movie stars is hardly that solved.
Can we produce and retail 40mj of hydrogen for under £1?
According to the artical, no we cant.

If we cant do it using mains electric on load balancing rates, we sure as hell wont be able to do it on solar panels and wind mills.

Germany to Create Countrywide Hydrogen Fuel Network by 2015:
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/09/15/ger ... k-by-2015/#

When it comes to the future of automotive technology, electric cars get the lion’s share of the attention. But hydrogen-powered vehicles are slowly gaining traction, first with an announcement last week that auto companies are spending billions on fuel cell vehicles, and now with news that Germany is planning to launch a countrywide hydrogen fueling network by 2015!

A total of eight companies (Daimler, EnBW, Linde, OMV, Shell, Total, Vattenfall and the NOW GmbH National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology) are working to bring the fueling network to fruition. In its first phase, scheduled for 2009-2011, the companies involved will lobby for public support and begin fuel station installations. The second phase will see the mass rollout of hydrogen-powered cars along with an accompanying fuel network.

Germany isn’t the only country trying to speed up the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell technology. Canada is working on a hydrogen highway to link Vancouver and Whistler in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics, while Denmark is planning a hydrogen network to connect Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Germany.