First the cost of H2 is not a current obstacle. The GGE (gallon gas equivalent) is largely irrelevant and people should stop using it. What really matters for cost and range is much of an alternative fuel it takes to push the same car the same distance as a gallon of gas, the fuel, the EGG (Effective Gallon of Gas equivalent) if you will.

Based on a comparison of the Honda Civic with a normal gasoline engine and one with H2 fuel cells, the EGG of H2 used in a FCV is about 0.4 kg.

So H2 at $4.50/kg is already cost competitive with gasoline at $1.80/EGG or even via electrolysis at $7/kg or $2.80/EGG.

Instead, the real obstacle to cost competitive H2 vehicles (as the DOE status reports make clear) is the durability and cost of the fuel cells. If a fuel cell stack costs $15,000 and lasts only 75,000 miles, it’s not competitive with gasoline even if the H2 is free.

That said, the ability to generate H2 via electrolysis so cheaply would be a HUGE breakthrough for a number of application. $2.50/kg = $1/EGG, so the fuel cost of an H2 vehicle would be less than half that of a normal gasoline engine. Still, color me very skeptical. If I had a dollar for every company that claimed to be able to produce $1/EGG alternative fuel…

-Mercy

Okay! Let the market dictate which company wins the hydrogen lottery. No government interference.

Will GridShift, Inc. have their method on the market soon at our friendly neighborhood gas stations? We can’t afford to have a home location for hydrogen; otherwise, I’d love it.

Thanks for listening.