Hydrogen Powered Cars

Hydrogen powered cars have already made their debut. Since hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe it only make sense that hydrogen powered cars would someday make the limelight. Well that day is already here. Though hydrogen powered cars are not ready for primetime for consumers yet, many manufacturers are showing off their concept cars and prototypes to get consumers excited about the future.

Mercedes F600 Hygenius

On this page, we've included some photos of the more popular hydrogen powered cars as they exist right now. Some are powered by hydrogen fuel cells and some have converted gasoline powered combustion engines.

One of the earliest hydrogen powered concept cars was called the Revolution, manufactured by Fiberforge (formerly Hypercar, Inc.). Though this experiment stalled in the hydrogen fuel cell phase, what came out of the experiment was a method of producing ultra-lightweight automobiles using carbon composites. Fiberforge soon realized that if the hydrogen powered cars of the future were to be successful, then cutting down on the weight of cars would be essential for delivering better fuel mileage while retaining safety standards.

Revolution by Hypercar (now FiberForge)

DaimlerChrysler, who owns Mercedes, also announced the production of a fleet of Mercedes-Benz A-Class hydrogen powered cars in the U.S. and Europe. The Mercedes F-Cell cars get their power from compressed hydrogen.

Mercedes has also brought forth the F600 Hygenius Concept Car (pictured at top), which is powered by fuel cell and like hybrid vehicles, uses regenerative braking to recapture energy and recharge the batteries. The Mercedes F600 Hygenius also comes equipped with a 240v outlet, which, according to Mercedes can power two houses. The F600 Hygenius delivers 115 hp and has a range of 250 miles. And, because this is a Mercedes, the F600 Hygenius offers standard features such as built in cameras that warn drivers if other vehicles are in their blindspots, heated cup holders and a Pre-Safe system, which protects passengers when an upcoming accident is detected.

Honda has also developed its own hydrogen powered car and has said its cars are certified by the California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency and out-distances the Mercedes cars claiming its fuel cell cars can go 220 miles before needing refueling as opposed to the 90-mile per tank limit for the Mercedes.

Toyota has showcased their the FINE-S concept car with a hydrogen fuel-cell hybrid-electric powertrain which was built on the success of their gasoline / electric hybrid car, the Prius. BMW has unveiled what they are calling "The world's fastest hydrogen car" which they've named the HR2. BMW says the HR2 is capable of exceeding 185 mph. The H2R doesn’t operate on fuel cells as do most other current hydrogen powered cars, but rather uses a modified 6-liter, 12-cylinder combustion engine for its propulsion.

Hydrogen powered car are the future. The biggest challenge now is developing less expensive technology and a refueling infrastructure to support consumers. Many experts believe that hydrogen powered cars for the consumer are still 3 -10 years away. But as will all technology, one breakthrough could mean a hydrogen powered car in your driveway in no time, flat.