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It\u2019s time for the big showdown between the two rivals hoping to knock internal combustion engines off the top spot in the world of automotive power. (cue drumrolls, flashing lights blaring heavy metal music and a hyperventilating commentator). \u00a0In the green corner, we have\u2026 Electricity!\u00a0 In the other green corner, we have\u2026 Hydrogen! \u00a0Which of these two mighty rivals will win the title for best engine type and come out champion and win the Green Energy title?<\/p>\n
OK, settle down.\u00a0 Deep breath and time for me to stop channelling the pro wrestling I watched the other night when I was in need of a good laugh.\u00a0 Right, that\u2019s better.\u00a0 Now to continue with a discussion of whether hydrogen-powered vehicles or EVs are the best.<\/p>\n
Of course, one has to look at all aspects of motoring to decide what\u2019s best. What\u2019s more, when it comes to individual decisions as to what car you want to buy and drive, your personal priorities will come into play. So, without further ado, let the contest begin\u2026<\/p>\n
Environmental impact and emissions:<\/strong> On the road from the end-user perspective, it\u2019s a draw.\u00a0 Running EVs and hydrogen doesn\u2019t pump out pollution or greenhouse gases.\u00a0 However, the way that the electricity is generated or the hydrogen gas is produced may have to be taken into account. If the widespread uptake of EVs means that power companies have to fire up otherwise disused old coal- or gas-fired generators, EVs might not be all that green.\u00a0 If the power comes from hydro, wind or solar, then it\u2019s all good.\u00a0 Similarly with hydrogen: if the process of getting said hydrogen into a fuel form can be done without chewing through non-renewables or pumping out nasties, then it\u2019s all good \u2013 and we\u2019re working on that, as we\u2019ve discussed in an earlier post.<\/p>\n Maintenance:<\/strong> Assuming that you can find a mechanic that can deal with EVs (there are more of these knocking around these days) and\/or hydrogen vehicles (we need a nice little abbreviation for these: what about HVs?), this is another draw.\u00a0 Both types of vehicle have fewer moving parts than what\u2019s needed in an ICE (internal combustion engine) \u2013 both involve electric motors that create rotational motion directly rather than relying on a controlled explosion to push a piston that turns into rotational motion.\u00a0 Fewer moving parts means less friction, which means less wear and tear.\u00a0 However, to be fair, EVs and HVs haven\u2019t been around quite as long, so we will have to wait a bit and see what happens as they get older.<\/p>\n Accessibility:<\/strong> OK, here EVs win hands down.\u00a0 Charging points can be found in all sorts of places and every time I go to my favourite holiday spot, I come across a new charger where there wasn\u2019t one before.\u00a0 You can also get charging points for your home so you can charge an EV overnight.\u00a0 Although our very own CSIRO are working on ways to make transportation and storage of hydrogen easier, we still don\u2019t have very many hydrogen bowsers out there\u2026 or at least not yet.<\/p>\n Cost:<\/strong> At the moment, electricity is cheaper to get than hydrogen fuel, so this is another win for EVs.<\/p>\n Time:<\/strong> As a lot of you have already discovered, it can take quite a while to charge the battery of an EV up to full, kind of like it does with your phone or laptop. Even the very fastest superchargers take half an hour to get a battery to 100%. However, hydrogen pumps as easily as petrol or diesel, and you all know how quick that is, so HVs win here.<\/p>\n Range: Another very clear win for hydrogen. In 2017, the Toyota Mirai clocked up 502 km, while a test version of a Tesla picked up somewhere between 397 and 506 km.\u00a0 In practice and with everyday people driving, the range of HVs tends to be a lot longer than that of EVs.<\/p>\n Specs: <\/strong><\/p>\n The Telsa Roadster (due for release in 2020) boasts some specs that make all the other supercars, muscle cars and hypercars look like Granny\u2019s little runabout: 0\u201362 mph (that\u2019s about the same as 100 km\/h)) in 1.9 seconds, a top speed of 250 MILES per hour and a reputed 10,000 Nm of torque according to Elon Musk.\u00a0 Yes, I\u2019m counting those zeroes as well and wondering if that\u2019s for real.\u00a0 A nice nerd has explained how this figure might be a wee bit misleading, as Tesla\u2019s talking about wheel torque, not engine torque:<\/p>\n