Hydrogen Fuel Cells-Green Energy for Transportation
An alternative energy source available for transportation is hydrogen fuel cells, which was invented back in 1839 by Sir William Grove. This fuel cell basically separates hydrogen and oxygen in water through hydrolysis. Although its invention has been many years ago, there is still much research focused on furthering and making this type of clean energy usable. There are a couple of car models with this type of technology; Dailmer Chrysler Necar (release date:2002) and the more current release of the Honda FXC Clarity, released in 2010 for lease option only. There is only a couple types of this style energy powered cars because the “cost of creating volts is prohibitively high” (Fei, Marcus 2012). Other problems are involved with the water getting too hot or cold, stability of the fuel cells and access to the hydrogen. Currently there has been hydrogen sales points created in Southern California, with possibilities to branch out. The company is also looking for ways to allow customers to make their own hydrogen with electricity. I would be willing to buy a car that used this type of energy because the only by product is water and it does not release harmful emission into our atmosphere. However I think I will wait some time until the technology is more sound and more tests are conducted. Flammable hydrogen is certainly not something that I want to be a beta tester for.
Gallons Saved: I drive around 100 miles a week, so 5200 miles a year. I get around 25 miles to the gallon, so 208 gallons a year can be saved with this method. No gasoline is involved in running this type of car. That is a whole lot less emissions in the air, little changes can have big results!
References
Fei, Marcus (2012) Hydrogen Fuel Cells:Cars of the Future.Invent now
