Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can Hydrogen replace oil as the worlds main energy source?
A. No, hydrogen is not a energy source, it's a energy carrier, for a hydrogen vehicles to be 100% green, the energy needed for the hydrogen production must come from renewable energy sources.
Q. How efficient are Hydrogen Vehicles?
A. The efficiency if hydrogen vehicles is about 24-26% on a Well-to-Wheel basis. This efficiency increases every year with increased Fuel Cell efficiency. As a comparason, gasoline powered vehicles are about 15-16% efficient.
Q. Is Hydrogen Toxic?
A. No, hydrogen is not toxic, it is colorless, odorless and invisible to the naked eye. But like all gaseous compounds it can cause asphyxiation when there is a lack of oxygen.
Q. Why Hydrogen?
A. Hydrogen can be produced from many sources of energy, including fossil fuels, such as natural gas and coal; renewable energy resources, such as solar radiation, wind, and biomass; and nuclear energy. The diversity of hydrogen sources and the energy efficiency benefits of hydrogen fuel cells make the widespread use of hydrogen for transportation and stationary power.
Q. What are the benefits of hydrogen economy?
A. Widespread use of hydrogen as an energy source could help address concerns about global climate change, and air quality. Fuel cells are an important enabling technology for the Hydrogen Future and have the potential to revolutionize the way we live, offering cleaner, more-efficient alternatives to the combustion of gasoline and other fossil fuels.
The combustion of fossil fuels by electric power plants, vehicles, and other sources is responsible for most of the smog and harmful particulates in the air. Fuel cells powered by pure hydrogen emit no harmful pollutants. Fuel cells that use a reformer to convert fuels such as natural gas, methanol, or gasoline to hydrogen do emit small amounts of air pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), although it is much less than the amount produced by the combustion of fossil fuels.
Q. Is hydrogen dangerous?
A. Much skepticism still exists about the safety of carrying around pure hydrogen in a moving vehicle. Many cite the vivid images of the Hindenburg ablaze, or the 1986 Challenger catastrophe, or the Hydrogen bomb as testaments to the danger of hydrogen. Fortunately, these explosions have little bearing on the safety of hydrogen fuel for your car or home.
In many ways, hydrogen is a good deal safer than gasoline or diesel. Like any fuel, hydrogen stores significant amounts of energy, and handling it requires certain safety precautions. But hydrogen can be safer than gasoline if it is used properly.
Because it is so light, hydrogen disperses and floats skyward when leaked—it won't pool or soak into clothing like gasoline, just waiting to ignite. Spilled hydrogen won't soak into the earth and pollute ground water either, or cause an environmental disaster.
To learn more about hydrogen safety visit SERC's hydrogen safety web page
Q.How does hydrogen compare with other fuels like gasoline and diesel?
A.
• Hydrogen can be totally nonpolluting (water is the exhaust).
• Hydrogen can be economically competitive with gasoline or diesel.
• Hydrogen can be as safe as gasoline, diesel, or natural gas
• Hydrogen can help prevent the depletion of fossil fuel reserves
• Hydrogen can be produced anywhere from a variety of energy sources.
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