Hydrogen fuel cars as an alternative energy source

Hydrogen Fuel Cars as an Alternative Energy Source

Hydrogen fuel cells are an alternative source of energy and are likely to be the fuel of the future for cars. Cars are becoming more and more common and numerous people get cars because of their effectiveness, making the automobile-related pollution problem more serious than ever. Considering fossil fuels, the pollution they cause, and the fact that this energy resource is about to be depleted, hydrogen fuel cells energy comes at a perfect time. In spite of the energy's benefits, scientists are yet to develop it into a power that can be used every day by car owners and this respective energy source has to be perfected in order to become utilized effectively.

Fuel cells generate energy as a result of being fueled by hydrogen and do not require the fuel to be burned in order to convert it in electricity that powers the engine. Hydrogen is more effective than fossil fuels because it makes engines fuel flexible, meaning that they can also be powered by using other types of fuel (such as gasoline or methanol). Greenhouse gasses emissions would be significantly reduced in a society supporting the use of hydrogen as the main energy source for cars (Kiley 274).

Energy security is considered to be one of the main advantages related to the use of hydrogen as a fuel for cars. Hydrogen is expected to trigger stability from a geopolitical perspective and to encourage a constant economic growth ("How Soon for Hydrogen?").

Considering that people today mainly appreciate cars on the basis of their appearance, design is particularly important when considering a car's appeal. With fossil fuels, car designers are limited because the vehicles they design need to be created in accordance with conditions related to this respective energy source. Hydrogen presents designers with the opportunity to be less limited, this being clear through looking at GM's Hy-wire prototype ("How Soon for Hydrogen?").

In spite of the obvious benefits, it is going to be long before hydrogen fuel cell energy will become a common power source for cars, considering that costs for fueling cars with it are much greater than powering automobiles with conventional fuels (Steinbugler, and Williams). People are typically inclined to think that a product becomes less expensive once it enters mass production. However, this is not the case with hydrogen powered cars, as it will still be expensive to produce the fuel and to make cars capable to run on it. Gasoline burning-vehicles are likely to be replaced with cars using alternative sources of energy in the near future, only that hydrogen is improbable to become widespread in the coming years (in contrast to other alternative fuels) (Behar).

Hydrogen fuel cells are less effective in terms of space, given that they are much larger than an ordinary gas tank ("Hydrogen Car Gears Up" 23).

Most people are unaware that hydrogen is not found on earth in a normal form and that it has to be extracted from other sources. A great amount of energy is used when hydrogen is extracted from other sources and the process emits carbon dioxide, meaning that the energy source actually generates greenhouse gasses (Behar).

Pollution is responsible for many catastrophes happening today and people are virtually addicted to using fossil fuels. Hydrogen is one of the best solutions to getting rid of these problems and of presenting people with the chance to travel without being concerned regarding the effects that their actions have on the environment.