Hi Chris and All =

Much as we might wish for a ‘magic potion’ that will relieve our dependence on petroleum products, Hydrogen isn’t it. I am not a scientist, but even I know it takes MORE energy expenditure to fractionate Hydrogen as it does to get Gasoline. Hydrogen is not an energy store medium like petroleum, and as the Challenger disaster showed has some very serious shortcomings.

I have come to believe that the only way we will create a viable electric vehicle is to first increase the number of nuclear power plants, and also vastly improve the transmission networks to handle the increased loads. Needless to say, the screaming Greenies won’t let that happen in our lifetime without enormous outlays of treasure and energy we can ill afford to waste.

By all means, keep up the investigations and experimentation of an Electric Vehicle, as it is viable with the improvements in storage technologies and component improvements they will develop. Do not get suckered into the Hydrogen/Electric boondoggle without you do some serious investigation.

Be well; and thank you.
Mike.

Hi Chris & All,
I concur with Mike that hydrogen is most likely to be a dead end. As a former Mechanical Engineer who worked in the Petrochemical refinery equipment business and the Nuclear Power industry, hydrogen is a very poor choice. It has difficulties with efficient generation, storage, transport and energy density per unit volume.

As an example, you can’t effectively transport it through existing pipelines. H2 molecules are so small, pipeline leaks can’t be contained. (You have to X-ray every weld for very tiny defects. You just can’t reduce the defects enough.) Hydrogen storage has similar difficulties. Dragging Hydrogen around in metal hydride or similar containment systems results in low energy density per unit weight and volume.

Consider having to rebuild the entire gasoline distribution system to handle hydrogen. Gasoline is easy to contain and has significant energy per unit weight and volume. Lots of luck rebuilding the entire transportation fuel supply infrastructure to support hydrogen fueled transportation system.

As for Nuclear Power, I’m sold, except for the fact than no human endeavor has ever successfully been maintained for the 10,000+ years you are going to have to contain the horrific nuclear waste. Don’t tell me about the Government doing it. Just look Google the nuclear waste problem in Hanover, Washington. Very hot radioactive leakage is heading for the ground water table. Hanover may yet be the first American location to have to be abandoned due to nuclear waste leakage.

Our best hope in the transport arena is conservation and use of more dangerous, but more efficient small vehicles.

Sorry to have to be so negative, but fantasy thinking will not solve an energy problem that was clearly visible but ignored since the mid 70’s.