VW: “Fuel cell cars won’t save the world”
Looks like the beginning of a trend toward realism:
Describing them as a “marketing exercise,” he said their inherent problem lies with producing
the hydrogen fuel to power them, and in establishing an infrastructure of hydrogen filling stations. “Because hydrogen has to be produced using existing power, CO2 emissions are still an issue,” he said.
Ouch!
But if not hydrogen, what could possibly be the answer?
Instead, Dr Leohold reckons the immediate future of alternative power for cars lies with biofuels
and beyond that with battery power, and we’ll see huge improvements in battery technology in the next five years. “You can see it already in mobile phone and computer batteries,” he said.
It would be nice if GM or Honda would make such a statement.
Related nails in the coffin posts:
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Another devastating blow to the pseustainability movement.
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Dear sirs,
I am new to your web page so I do not know whether you have looked into Compressed Air Technology (CAT) as a viable option. Please see attached link
http://www.theaircar.com/index.html
Best regards
December 1st, 2007 at 3:42 pm
The only thing stopping a working hydrogen cell is money. Money, that won’t be going into the pockets of the big powers.
There are fuel cells that use water to make hydrogen there would be no need for hydrogen filling stations. It would change the economy too much I suppose for the average person to not have to buy fuel.
Compressed air could be used too but again the people who control money aren’t going to go for it.
Someone could probably make some big bucks selling plans for a hydrogen cell that produces hydrogen from water that can be installed on a vehicle. The people who could do this probably do fear for their lives…
December 1st, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Sorry — hydrogen cells don’t make hydrogen from water. Electrolyzers, do — and they need tons of old-style electricity to do so.