Tesla has single-handedly changed the future of cars, forcing the more traditional automakers to play catchup. Electric vehicles are now the mainstay of every automaker’s lineup. Even doubters like General Motors and Volkswagen (VW) are fast building their electric vehicle (EV).
But, one company is still digging its heels. The Japanese giant Toyota is not putting all its eggs on EVs. While they do plan to launch electric vehicles, they continue to bet strongly on fuel cells.
Why? Hasn’t the fuel cell tech lost the auto wars?
- The fuel cell tech uses hydrogen
On paper, fuel cell technology is the perfect clean energy solution to fight climate change. Hydrogen in a liquefied form is passed through a fuel cell that produces energy to run a vehicle. Water is the by-product. Hydrogen packs more energy per unit mass than any other form of fuel.
While gasoline packs 46 MJ per kg of the fuel, hydrogen packs 120 MJ per kg, ~2.5 times more. So in an ideal world, less hydrogen would be needed to run the same vehicle than fossil fuels. Only a few fuel cells would be needed, keeping the vehicle light, unlike heavy batteries. The other advantage is refueling is quick much like regular gas.
“Fuel cells, which use clean power-generation methods, emit only
water, and,
because of their high energy density, can provide a lot of energy” Shigeki Terashi, Toyota Executive Vice President
- Why hydrogen fuel cell adoption is still low?
Hydrogen revolution was promised more than a decade ago by Gov. Schwarzenegger in California. It did not happen. Hydrogen tech is plagued by both the demand and supply problem. The supply chain is not robust. There aren’t enough refueling stations and some are often closed for maintenance. There are also interruptions at the sources of hydrogen as well. Hydrogen is currently sourced at fossil fuel-run plants where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen.
The other big problem is the cost. Fuel cell tech is still pricey. Current hydrogen prices hover around $16 per gallon. One reason is that fuel cells use Platinum alloy as a catalyst. Platinum is costly. Research is on to reduce the amount of Platinum used or even drop it to cut down the costs.
“Widespread, sustainable commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicles requires either a dramatic reduction in the amount of platinum required or the replacement of platinum catalysts with those made of earth-abundant, inexpensive materials like iron.” Deborah Myers, Senior Chemist at Argonne National Laboratory.
The storage of the gas adds to the cost. The gas while energy-dense by mass is not so dense by volume. Keeping it in tanks in a liquid state requires cooling. All this adds to the cost of the fuel. Each refueling, therefore, costs more than gasoline and significantly more than electricity. This makes hydrogen-based cars more like a white elephant, expensive to purchase and costly to maintain. Therefore, it makes little sense to buy a hydrogen-powered car.
- Then why is Toyota still backing it?
Toyota has been an early backer of fuel cells. But, the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai received a tepid response. This may be due to the $50,000 plus sticker price or the lack of refueling stations.
One would think that the commercial failure of Mirai would put Toyota’s hydrogen plans on hold. But, they intend to keep producing the cars, perhaps with slight updates. As reported by the LA Times, Toyota doesn’t want to put all eggs in one basket for the future of automobiles. They will invest in EVs but keep Mirai running in case hydrogen gets big. The other is Toyota has other ideas for a hydrogen fuel cell that goes beyond cars. Mirai is just the public face for hydrogen.
“Toyota won’t be putting all our eggs in one technology basket,” Doug Murtha, Toyota’s U.S. group Vice President for corporate strategy and planning.
Hydrogen may be a better fuel for heavy-duty vehicles. Trucks, buses, and forklifts need more power. The current battery tech involves heavy lithium-ion batteries. Powering heavy-duty vehicles with many batteries would add significant weight to these vehicles. A hydrogen fuel cell can be an easier replacement. It would keep the vehicle light.
Thanks for reading!