Honda has unveiled a solar-powered hydrogen station for use by drivers at home, which can produce enough fuel to power its FCX Clarity fuel cell car for 25 miles of driving each day.
Hydrogen can be used as a fuel for electric cars thereby doing away with the need for a battery – these so-called fuel cell vehicles can travel longer distances than electric vehicles that need to be re-charged directly from a mains supply. For example, the Nissan FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) can drive up to 500km without refilling.
World’s smallest hydrogen generator
Honda’s solar hydrogen station is the smallest of its kind and could be incorporated into the design of a garage.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “At present there is no refuelling infrastructure for hydrogen so personal generators could be part of the answer.”
The Solar Hydrogen Station is able to export any excess electricity to the national grid.
Why power cars with hydrogen?
Hydrogen produces only water when it is burned, and whilst its production requires significant amounts of energy, if these are from a sustainable source – as is the case with the solar hydrogen station – the fuel makes sense for use in cars since it produces no harmful emissions at point of use.
| Hydrogen power for cars | …at a glance |
|---|---|
| Swapping petrol for hydrogen | Running a car on Hydrogen is nothing new; with modification, a conventional petrol engine can run on hydrogen – this was first done in 1807 |
| Hydrogen as a fuel for electric cars | The Hydrogen-powered vehicles in development today use the gas as fuel to produce electricity that in turn powers an electric motor. Other types of electric cars have batteries that need to be recharged, usually by plugging them in at the mains |
DIY fuel for your car
The promise of never again having to fill up from a petrol station sounds as unfeasible as it does attractive, but a British company is doing a brisk trade selling a device that turns used cooking oil into biofuel that can be used in diesel-engined vehicles.
The ‘FuelPod 2’ is the size of a small fridge and is capable of producing up to 50 litres of biodiesel every day. Its fuel dispensing system allows the biodiesel, which costs a fraction of the price of diesel at the pump and is far more environmentally friendly, to be pumped straight into the car.
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