Elon Musk’s Views on Hydrogen

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has expressed strong opinions about hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cells. In particular, a few years ago, a billionaire described hydrogen fuel cells as extremely stupid. Musk said it is tough to make hydrogen, store it and use it in a car. It was later added that hydrogen fuel cell does not absorb current batteries at best. Therefore it makes no sense. After these remarks, it seems that Musk’s views have not changed. In 2020, Elon wrote on Twitter that a fool was just buying fuel cells.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as similar to electric cars. This similarity stems from the fact that they use an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine to power the wheels.

The main difference is that electric vehicles have batteries that need to be charged by plugging in the car charging point. On the other hand, fuel cell machines use hydrogen gas to generate electricity onboard. Along with the fuel cells, hydrogen gas from the tank combines with oxygen to generate electricity. The fuel cell electric car emits only water vapor and warm air.

Different Visions

Musk is not the only person when it comes to uncertainty about the use of hydrogen in cars. According to Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen Group, it’s time for politicians to embrace science. Green hydrogen is needed for chemicals, steel, air. Therefore, it should not end up in cars. It is very inefficient, expensive, slow, and complex.

Diess and Musk are very influential figures. They say it weighs a lot. However, it is worth noting that not everyone seems to share their position in the automotive sector. Hyundai and Toyota still produce hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Small manufacturer Riversimple is working on hydrogen engine machines.

The BMW Group announced that it had begun testing vehicles using a hydrogen fuel cell drive system in the summer. The company described hydrogen fuel cell technology as a long-term potential for filling internal combustion engines, batteries, and plug-in hybrid systems.

Hydrogen Future in Machines

Riversimple does not sell its cars; it offers its subscriber service. Such a range of companies is working on providing fuel cells. A Toyota spokesman said fuel cell vehicles would play a significant role in decarbonizing cars.

Toyota views hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels, including transportation, lighting, heating, mass transit, and other heavy industries. According to forecasts, the range of use of hydrogen will increase, which will allow for a more efficient and cheaper electricity supply.

According to FCHEA, the company has offered the customer a zero-emission option. It was a huge opportunity to process fuel cell materials and electric cars. It is also perfect for airplanes, trains, buses, trucks. According to the CEO of Daimler Truck, all of this makes sense. Suppose the focus is on city delivery, where less energy is needed. In that case, you can charge it with an electric battery at night.

However, the moment you are on the road, the moment you have a long way to go, you need something that will allow you to transport better. This is what is possible with H2.