If you haven’t heard much about Hydrogen Fuel Cell cars there’s a reason; there are only two models sold in the US and only forty filling stations in total. Two of these stations are on the East Coast and as you would expect, the rest are on the West Coast. These cars are ones that should already be used more than they currently area but there have been some roadblocks that have kept us from having the development of this technology take place in the US and the only two models offered that are powered by hydrogen are both from Japan.
IN 2003 the Presidential administration of the time proposed a $1.2 billion funding to research fuel-cell automobiles but six years later a new Presidential administration killed the funding because the thought was it wouldn’t be possible for at least a decade. Now we know that funding should have been allowed and even made bigger and we should have a domestically made hydrogen car. Instead what we do have are the Honda Clarity and the Toyota Mirai which are the two hydrogen cars that are on the market now with a minimal infrastructure to support them.
As research and support have continued from these two companies the fact that hydrogen is a viable fuel that offers up no emissions has become more of a reality. The benefit of driving one of these cars is the fact that filling it up with hydrogen is similar to using gasoline right now. These vehicles can be filled within about five minutes and then you’re on your way. No reason to be stuck waiting for the battery to charge up for a few hours. The range offered for these cars is much better as well, making it easier for you to have the driving you need.
Both the Toyota and the Honda deliver power differently and use the systems to create the driving experience you want in a way that gives you a drive that you can enjoy on the road. One aspect that hasn’t been improved yet is the acceleration, but for the most part driving hydrogen-powered car is the same as driving a gasoline one without the infrastructure and without the emissions that we’re currently facing a problem with air quality and learning how to reduce even further, even in the gasoline models.
Hopefully, with the growth of the support for these two models, we’ll see more brands begin to build their own fuel-cell models and start to help support the growth of refueling stations. As the type of alternative fuel that’s as close to the gasoline experience is right now for us, we need more of these cars on the road in order to help produce fewer emissions. Water vapor is the only emissions of the Clarity and Mirai, which makes them safer for us to drive from an environmental standpoint. It’s time for our domestic brands to get behind this technology and start to build this segment of the market.
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