Re: Makes perfect sense
The points you make are transitional ones: just as with early petrol cars the cost was high, there were no petrol stations, the roads were full of old horseshoe nails causing punctures and yet, despite all of that, somehow cars managed to win out.
> Over 90% of hydrogen is grey, manufactured from natural gas, producing just as much GHGs as burning the stuff. You can make it blue from water IF you have money to burn, because...
Currently. But with changes in demand come changes in supply. That's already happening: there are multiple undersea, hydrogen-only pipelines being planned. Only just recently Germany opened talks with the UK to provide wind-powered hydrogen via an under-North Sea pipeline.
> ...but I've yet to see hydrogen prices anywhere near competitive with its successful competition unless extremely subsidized. The first hit is always free, right?
That's the cynical way of looking at it. An economist would point out that incentives are a quick and efficient way to kick-start a market. It's the length of time that a subsidy exists for that really matters, not that it is there in the first place.
> The nozzle freezes to the car when refueling on humid weather.
Oh noes. Perhaps you're also aware that diesel crystallises in freezing weather but - amazing this bit - scientists found a solution to the problem. Perhaps they'll find a way to unfreeze the nozzle once refuelled?
> But that's rarely a problem, since you can count the number of refueling stations on one hand and still give Exxon the finger.
At one time there were fewer petrol stations worldwide than there currently are hydrogen refuelling stations. If your point is that there need to be more then, yes.
> Road trip? Only if you orbit a hydrogen station.
That's the "lack of refuelling stations" argument repeated.
> And don't expect a hydrogen refueling station building boom anytime soon. New stations cost more than gas stations, far more than fast chargers, and my calculator lacks the zeros for how much more than Level 2 chargers. And the few existing stations are shutting down, at least in California.
Again, supply and demand. Petrol stations didn't spring into their current form and number overnight, just as ICEs didn't spring into their current form and number overnight. R&D on both the vehicles and the filling stations won't stop just because it's H2 and not fossil.
> You can't refuel at home overnight. Gas vehicles can't, either, of course. But EVs...
EVs can't either if you live in a block of flats. Whichever technology prevails, there will need to be refuelling stations of some form.
> Carrying around a pair of 700 bar tanks filled with hydrogen can only end well.
Yes it will end well. The risk of carrying around highly inflammable petrol has been reduced to an almost negligible level and there's no reason why carrying around hydrogen tanks can't also be a neglible risk.
> At least a hydrogen leak in your enclosed garage is unlikel - oh, wait.
Your garage is not airtight let alone hydrogen tight. Any small leak will go straight out. Any large leak is no different to spilling a 5 gal container of petrol in your garage. Agreed, you don't want it to happen, but if it does then it's not guaranteed to be a disaster and the emergency services can help you.
> Speaking of which, the tanks occupy the space I need for the frunk. Not to mention the legroom.
Yep, the tanks do take up space. And in an EV the batteries add a huge amount of weight and require drivers to go more slowly round corners and allow longer braking distances. There are trade-offs.
> Acceleration is leisurely, even given the battery you still need to keep it acceptable and to store regenerated electricity.
Remember the good old days when diesels were smelly and slow? No? Perhaps that's becuase R&D improved them. Just as it will for H2.
> And the price? The cars are barely affordable as long as they include hefty subsidies.
Again... how much did the first petrol cars cost compared with a horse? And how much now?
> And then there's... my tired fingers.
Tomorrow your fingers will have recovered. And tomorrow H2 vehicles will be a step closer. :-)
Biting the hand that feeds IT
