Hydrogen is the future of motoring
Discussion
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-190...
if you have your own diesel powered lorry to take you to the filling station
if you have your own diesel powered lorry to take you to the filling station
Jasandjules said:
FFS.
Still, I am sure they will buy some more carbon credits or whatever the feck it is eco mentalists think helps.
To be fair, the reason for Hydrogen and Electric vehicles in big cities is very valid - to improve local air quality. No-one wants to be breathing in pure diesel fumes every time they walk past a taxi rank. Still, I am sure they will buy some more carbon credits or whatever the feck it is eco mentalists think helps.
I find that immensely surprising, considering they can install an ad-hoc filling station at relatively minimal cost in Olympic terms
Also, to be fair (and I'm no fuel cell advocate) they are pretty cool bits of kit. They give off sci-fiesque sound effects, are eerily quiet to ride in and are actually surprisingly quick. Handling leaves a bit to be desired, but it's still better than a standard one!
Also, to be fair (and I'm no fuel cell advocate) they are pretty cool bits of kit. They give off sci-fiesque sound effects, are eerily quiet to ride in and are actually surprisingly quick. Handling leaves a bit to be desired, but it's still better than a standard one!
kambites said:
Jasandjules said:
FFS.
Still, I am sure they will buy some more carbon credits or whatever the feck it is eco mentalists think helps.
To be fair, the reason for Hydrogen and Electric vehicles in big cities is very valid - to improve local air quality. No-one wants to be breathing in pure diesel fumes every time they walk past a taxi rank. Still, I am sure they will buy some more carbon credits or whatever the feck it is eco mentalists think helps.
Petrol isn't stored under pressure. Neither is diesel.
C
CraigyMc said:
What's the local air quality like when an HGV crashes into one of these things and ruptures a tank?
I suspect no-one knows because it's never happened. Of all the safety concerns with motoring, that's a pretty minuscule one. And anyway, it'd be fine (if a little warmer) because all that would be released when it burnt would be water.
The Wookie said:
I find that immensely surprising, considering they can install an ad-hoc filling station at relatively minimal cost in Olympic terms
Also, to be fair (and I'm no fuel cell advocate) they are pretty cool bits of kit. They give off sci-fiesque sound effects, are eerily quiet to ride in and are actually surprisingly quick. Handling leaves a bit to be desired, but it's still better than a standard one!
More info http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-10836132Also, to be fair (and I'm no fuel cell advocate) they are pretty cool bits of kit. They give off sci-fiesque sound effects, are eerily quiet to ride in and are actually surprisingly quick. Handling leaves a bit to be desired, but it's still better than a standard one!
Love this pic
kambites said:
CraigyMc said:
What's the local air quality like when an HGV crashes into one of these things and ruptures a tank?
I suspect no-one knows because it's never happened. Of all the safety concerns with motoring, that's a pretty minuscule one. And anyway, it'd be fine (if a little warmer) because all that would be released when it burnt would be water.
I suspect it might burn the car (and HGV) a bit too, though - and cars tend to be made out of things that don't produce clean emissions when burnt.
A hydrogen fire causing some "bodywork" to burn:
Me, when I realised how small the range of these cars was, due to the ridiculous containment tanks for something that has to be kept that cold, and which has a small proportion of the energy content of petrol/diesel even if you manage to keep it liquid:
C
MarkRSi said:
Some sweet camber on that road. Anyone know where it is 
I'd imagine a hydrogen powered car would be much less likely to burn in the event of a crash than a petrol powered one because the hydrogen is forcefully expelled from the vehicle. Probably more likely to cook a passing pedestrian, but less likely to cook the driver. 
I think I'd rather crash a hydrogen powered car than a petrol one, personally.
I think I'd rather crash a hydrogen powered car than a petrol one, personally.
Nice find OP 
Thought this was going to turn out differently before I clicked the link...
we're spending half the time switching to diesel to reduce energy use/CO2, and the other half switching from diesel to reduce the local pollution it causes.
Thought this was going to turn out differently before I clicked the link...kambites said:
To be fair, the reason for Hydrogen and Electric vehicles in big cities is very valid - to improve local air quality. No-one wants to be breathing in pure diesel fumes every time they walk past a taxi rank.
we're spending half the time switching to diesel to reduce energy use/CO2, and the other half switching from diesel to reduce the local pollution it causes.paranoid airbag said:
Nice find OP Thought this was going to turn out differently before I clicked the link...
we're spending half the time switching to diesel to reduce energy use/CO2, and the other half switching from diesel to reduce the local pollution it causes.
Diesel gives good fuel economy, but in emissions terms we are into a stage of diminishing returns. DPF filters anyone? Thought this was going to turn out differently before I clicked the link...kambites said:
To be fair, the reason for Hydrogen and Electric vehicles in big cities is very valid - to improve local air quality. No-one wants to be breathing in pure diesel fumes every time they walk past a taxi rank.
we're spending half the time switching to diesel to reduce energy use/CO2, and the other half switching from diesel to reduce the local pollution it causes.Electric + something (be that petrol engine or hydrogen fuel cell "range extender" or whatever) seems like an acceptable technology in the short-term at least.
Hydrogen has problems... not so much in how it works, it works well, but in efficiency and economy terms its crippled. It's still too cheap and easy to pump fossil fuels for hydrogen to make much sense.
We're close to a fuel breakthrough, very close.... and I think Hydrogen will be the future.
Look how far we have come in motoring terms in the past 20 years - back in 1992, your typical family car (say Sierra) didn't have anti-lock brakes, or airbags, or satnav, or electric windows (on the base spec), or climate control, or cruise control.
Fast forward 20 years, and my Fiesta has all of the above... and more! Cars have got bigger to allow for technology and safety increases, and manufacturers are now looking at lightweight materials to improve economy - making more use of boron steel in small cars etc.
I believe that the next 10 years will be very interesting for the motorist. Technology wise, we have reached saturation point, there isn't much left to develop. We already have internet available in car, lane guidance, radar cruise control, cars that brake themselves etc.
Now the engineers can turn their attention more to the drive train, and we will see some big advances. In fairness we already are with the Ford Ecoboost engines, cylinder deactivation in big V8 saloons... Honda are fully behind the Hydrogen project, it will only take a couple of other manufacturers to climb on board and there will be no stopping it. Production costs will come down, a fuelling infrastructure will take shape, advances will be made in tank and storage technology, and before you know it, we'll all be commuting in zero emissions vehicles.
As long as I'm still allowed to get the V8s out of the garage at the weekends, that suits me just fine
Look how far we have come in motoring terms in the past 20 years - back in 1992, your typical family car (say Sierra) didn't have anti-lock brakes, or airbags, or satnav, or electric windows (on the base spec), or climate control, or cruise control.
Fast forward 20 years, and my Fiesta has all of the above... and more! Cars have got bigger to allow for technology and safety increases, and manufacturers are now looking at lightweight materials to improve economy - making more use of boron steel in small cars etc.
I believe that the next 10 years will be very interesting for the motorist. Technology wise, we have reached saturation point, there isn't much left to develop. We already have internet available in car, lane guidance, radar cruise control, cars that brake themselves etc.
Now the engineers can turn their attention more to the drive train, and we will see some big advances. In fairness we already are with the Ford Ecoboost engines, cylinder deactivation in big V8 saloons... Honda are fully behind the Hydrogen project, it will only take a couple of other manufacturers to climb on board and there will be no stopping it. Production costs will come down, a fuelling infrastructure will take shape, advances will be made in tank and storage technology, and before you know it, we'll all be commuting in zero emissions vehicles.
As long as I'm still allowed to get the V8s out of the garage at the weekends, that suits me just fine
rossmc88 said:
There are no technical restrictions to the advancement of fuel technology, the oil companies keep an artificial barrier on it, so they can keep selling us fossil fuels and making shocking amounts of money
The solutions already exist, they are just kept locked away
The solutions DO already exist, but petrol is too cheap to make them competitive.The solutions already exist, they are just kept locked away
rossmc88 said:
There are no technical restrictions to the advancement of fuel technology, the oil companies keep an artificial barrier on it, so they can keep selling us fossil fuels and making shocking amounts of money
The solutions already exist, they are just kept locked away
Please don your tin foil hats gentlemen The solutions already exist, they are just kept locked away
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