Environmental Benefits of Hydrogen Vehicles
Hydrogen-powered vehicles aren't expected to reach mass market anytime soon, but the prospects of reducing greenhouse gas emissions are compelling to researchers and politicians alike.
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How Does A Hydrogen Car Run?
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To run a hydrogen car, you would need a stack of fuel cells known as polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Each fuel cell generates electricity from a chemical reaction from hydrogen and oxygen. The electricity powers the motor, while the vehicle only produces a harmless byproduct of water, unlike standard internal combustion engines, which produce carbon dioxide.
Reduced Carbon Dioxide
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According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), vehicles that run on hydrogen produce zero carbon dioxide emissions, a major contributor to global warming. By comparison, hybrid vehicles can cut harmful emissions by as much as 35 percent, but they don't offer the benefits of no greenhouse gas emissions as hydrogen does.
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Fewer Deaths Possible
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A study conducted by a team of researchers at Stanford University found that switching all U.S. vehicles to hydrogen fuel cell technology could prevent 3,700 to 6,400 deaths from air pollution.
Reduced Pollution From Production
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The Stanford team also found that if hydrogen could be produced from wind power sources rather than from fossil fuels, there would be an additional environmental benefit from reduced pollution from fuel production.
Other Bad Emissions Eliminated
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Carbon dioxide is the biggest pollutant, but typical combustion-engine cars produce other harmful emissions, including hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides (which can contribute to smog), and carbon monoxide, a toxic gas that can be lethal to humans. These pollutants would be eliminated with hydrogen cars.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Steve Jurvetson
