Hydrogen cars have emerged as a renewable fuel source to compete with the emerging electric market. With Tesla, GM, and many others moving into the electric range, what is the hype of hydrogen?
Hydrogen Cars and The Toyota Mirai
Hydrogen has recently hit the scenes in America. Toyota has had a pretty solid reputation for pushing alternative energies. With the debut of the Prius, a hybrid electric car, the industry shifted and many consumers caught on with alternative energy. Well, the industry has shifted once again. With emerging electric cars, Toyota has decided to move past that and go to one of the most abundant resources ever: Hydrogen. The Mirai is the first-ever hybrid/hydrogen vehicle. It can produce the same mileage as an electric vehicle and the process is much different.
Honda Implements Hydrogen In The Clarity
Honda has released its own version of hybrid vehicles that implement hydrogen. The “Clarity” comes in two options. The first is a standard hybrid that involves using fuels and electricity to power the car. The second utilized hydrogen as a replacement for traditional gas. The hydrogen method implements the same principles that Toyota has used for the Mirai.
Hydrogen Fuel Cells And How It Works
There are three components to a fuel cell. Hydrogen moves through the first component to create combustion. This is the first terminal and the first stage of the process.
The second stage involves oxygen. Oxygen is added to the second (negative terminal) cell.
The positive terminal is made from platinum which acts as a catalyst in order to quickly and rapidly combine the two molecules. Once they reach the catalyst, they are then separated out as hydrogen ions and electrons.
Once these are separated out, the electrons move through the third stage in the cell. A membrane that only allows protons to move through.
The electrons then move through the outer circuit. This is where the power for the motor comes in. Once they provide energy to the tires, they then move through to the negative terminal.
The negative terminal then recombines both parties and the end result is simply water.
Hydrogen Cars In The Future
Hydrogen cars are a new frontier for the automotive industry. With electric cars flooding the market, a new type is now emerging. Standards ICE’s are a thing of the past and the invention of new and emerging technologies is now on the horizon. By continuing to innovate away from fossil fuels, consumers will no longer need to pay large amounts of money to simply get from place to place. Thus, with new technologies, the question remains: what is next?
