To encourage people to make earth-friendly choices, shouldn't hydrogen-powered vehicles cost less?

Answer 1

I suggest we spend our time and energy finding an earth-friendly way to produce hydrogen first :)

Answer 2

We don't have the technology to build hydrogen-powered cars yet. And that's just as well--currently the only cost-effective way to manufacture hydrogen is from oil. You'd end up using more oil to make the fuel for a hydrogen-fuel car than if you just go ahead and use gasoline.

Granted, you can get hydrogen using electricity to break water into hydrogen and oxygen--but it's not cost effective yet. Without that as a primary source, hydrogen fuel is a non-starter.

Don't get me wrong--hydrogen fuel may be a useful technology--in 20 years. By wich time we won't need it, in all liklihood--we'll have electric cars and solar power taking up the load--and they are cheaper now than hydrogen fuel technology is ever likely to be.

So why does the current administration focus on hydrogen? First, it uses oil--and don't kid yourself, this administration is not going to do anything against the interests of th eoil companies. Second, it's a long term project--which means the current players will be long gone before anyone starts asking the kinds of questions about policy they don't like to answer. So they can pretend to be "environmentally friendly" without actually having to do anything.

Answer 3

Other factors other than those mentioned:

1. Mass production: It is generally less expensive to produce things in great numbers than it is to produce things in small numbers. Since there hasn't been a tremendous demand for hydrogen powered cars yet, manufacturers cannot take advantage of mass production techinques.

2. Actual cost of production: It may be true that for whatever reason, that the parts, labor an expertise required for a hydrogen powered car costs more than its gas powered counterpart. It's going to cost $x to produce a hydrogen powered car, and if you can't sell one for more than that, you are not going to be in business for long.

3. Government subsidies: You might think, "Well, the government would be interested in lowering our dependence on foreign gas/oil and keep a cleaner environment, so they should subsidize this, but..."

a. We already have a 7 trillion dollar deficit.
b. Oil/gas lobbies may put a damper on this.
c. If the government gives someone say, $1,000 tax credit for a hydrogen powered car, supply and demand may drive the cost of a hydrogen powered car up by... maybe $1,000. (so there is no real savings.).

There are probably other factors as well, but that's a start.

Answer 4

This is a good question, and I think eventually they will cost less, but as a previous poster said they are still new. There is a concept of "true cost" which inserts that things that are environmentally efficient should cost less as they cost less to the environment and things that tax the environment should be more expensive because of the damage they do...wouldn't this be an awesome if applied?

Answer 5

Yes they should however products that come from new technology always cost a lot because these firms are Trying to recover the R &D costs that they have incurred creating the product. It is not uncommon for Products to be in the R & D pipe line for 10 years before they are made available to the public.

Answer 6

Hydrogen fuel in vehicles is not that clean .The fire is very hot and will produce lots of Nitrogen oxide. Hydrogen is the most explosive and will leak through anything.

Answer 7

Shouldn't other vehicles cost more?

Clean vehicles are relatively new and need funding to promote research and improve efficiency.