If you’re wondering who would actually operate a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, I’m pleased to inform you that my most recent car, the Toyota Mirai, was one. Many people were curious about my experience driving this automobile, so I’ve addressed some of the most frequent inquiries I’ve gotten about it:
First of all, you should be aware that hydrogen fuel is measured in kilograms rather than gallons. A Mirai receives roughly 66 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) of hydrogen gas on a full tank, which weighs about five kilos.
The cost of the fuel isn’t low because the business is still in its early stages and is still learning how to store and transport hydrogen gas effectively. The price of one kilogram of hydrogen gas is roughly $16. However, Toyota provides hydrogen gas cards with a $15,000 value to every Mirai owner. You won’t have to pay for roughly three years’ worth of hydrogen gas thanks to Toyota! Additionally, it is hoped that as more research and development is conducted, hydrogen gas will become more accessible to drivers.
The only states with operational hydrogen stations are California and Hawaii, thus for the time being, you won’t see these vehicles outside of these two states. I live in California, where there are already 45 hydrogen stations open for business, with more in various phases of construction.
4) How do the gas stations look?
To begin with, hydrogen stations are normally found at petrol stations, and virtually every one of them that I have visited has only one hydrogen pump. This could present a problem if you’re in a hurry because you could have to wait unless there is another available pump nearby if there is a line of people in front of you. It just takes five to seven minutes to really fuel the vehicle.
The fact that the pumps run out is another disadvantage of using hydrogen fuel. To find out if pumps are “online” in California, visit the state’s Fuel Cell Partnership website. Tanks for hydrogen can only hold a specific amount of fuel throughout the day, so if you arrive at a tank without first checking to see if it contains fuel, you can find an empty pump. Although the website does a fantastic job of informing you when the tank will be refueled, if you’re in a hurry, it may cause significant delays to your plans. Infrastructure for hydrogen fuel needs to keep up with consumer demand and the state’s timeframe for achieving carbon neutrality in order to be able to integrate hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as a practical clean energy choice for motorists.
5) How does the car handle city driving versus long distance driving?
The car is incredibly efficient whether being driven around town or in the city. In line with electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles employ “regenerative braking,” an energy-conservation technique that leverages the friction produced by applying the brakes to refuel the vehicle’s battery. When I was driving locally, I only needed to fill up my tank once every two weeks, or roughly every 250 miles. On the other hand, these vehicles struggle while driving over extended distances with little braking. The motor behaves like a charged battery because it is electric. Consider your phone: if you use it continuously without a break, the battery will drain more quickly than if you use it intermittently. Without any means of replenishment (braking in this case), electricity depletes more quickly. For instance, if I were to go more than 30 miles per hour on the highway several times each week, I would need to refuel once every week (around every 150 miles). Driving efficiently, or doing so at a speed of no more than 65 miles per hour, is the only method to extend the life of your battery. Remembering the phone analogy, see it as if you were driving in “low power mode” to extend the battery’s life.
6) Additional details you should be aware of:
The most important thing individuals should be aware of is the need of conducting thorough research and being knowledgeable about the vehicle they will be purchasing. To make your automobile perform as effectively as possible for you, you must know how to drive it and how to fill it with gas. I ran out of power and had to be pulled to the closest hydrogen station because I didn’t do the required study and believed I could drive from Southern California to Northern California in the same manner as I would a gas-powered vehicle. Additionally, there have been times when I’ve had to wait longer than necessary to refuel at a hydrogen tank simply because someone couldn’t figure out how to fit the pump into the car. Sometimes people will attempt to fill up while the tank is still in the reset process since they are unaware that the pump needs around five minutes to reset after being used so frequently. As a result, they will leave thinking the tank is empty. Overall, there is still much to learn about hydrogen fuel cell cars, and when these cars are sold to drivers, the right education needs to be factored in along with research.
In This Article...
Can a hydrogen car be refueled at home?
A three-car garage-sized space and nearly a million dollars’ worth of equipment would be needed to fill up a hydrogen car at home. Or, you could simply plug an electric vehicle into a power socket.
Where can I get Mirai filled up?
To take advantage of hydrogen choices, visit one of the numerous well-known gas stations in LA, including as Shell, Chevron, and Conserv Fuel Gas Station.
Is hydrogen fuel less expensive than regular fuel?
Although hydrogen fuel is four times more expensive than gasoline and about $16 per gallon, it is far more efficient than gasoline. The cost of a fillup is high even though hydrogen cars, which have electric engines, have cruising ranges that are more than 350 miles longer than any battery-electric and some gas-powered vehicles.
The financial blow has been considerably mitigated by incentives. The state offers a $4,500 clean-car refund, and manufacturers supply refueling cards with three years’ worth of credit put on them. The first year of leasing a hydrogen vehicle, which is what most drivers do instead of buying, is mostly covered by that refund. New hydrogen vehicles cost around $60,000 and don’t come in as many model variants as battery-powered electric vehicles.
Aaron Slavin and his wife, who reside in the Altadena, California, neighborhood of Los Angeles, created a spreadsheet to analyze the benefits and drawbacks of driving a hydrogen-fueled vehicle. They came to the conclusion that keeping a gas-electric hybrid “didn’t pencil out.”
Aaron Slavin refueled his 2017 Toyota Mirai at a one-bay hydrogen pump concealed at a typical gas station in South Pasadena and declared, “I’m a big fan of this car; I preach about them.
Slavin, a producer of performing arts, claimed that because of his employment, lack of frequent commuting, and backup hybrid SUV, he is an ideal fit for the vehicle.
Last year, a fuel manufacturing facility explosion restricted supply for months, leaving some hydrogen stations with empty tanks, leaving some drivers stranded or demanding lengthy treks to alternate stations, making the second car essential. Slavin turned to a smartphone app that offered a real-time inventory of fuel at each station in response to the issue, which some drivers dubbed the “hydropocalypse.”
Although the gasoline issue has been fixed, it prompted a concern. Our lease expires in April, so I really need to consider our options, Slavin added. ” The automobile is nice, however the fuel situation worries me.
Hydrogen energy production has long been an alluring objective. After all, hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, it is lightweight and energy-dense, and when used in transportation, it doesn’t release greenhouse gases but rather little pools of water instead.
But this clean-burning fuel has a carbon history. About 95% of hydrogen fuel is created via an energy-intensive method that relies on methane, the deadliest of the planet-warming gases, even though once it is formed it drives zero-emission electric motors. Because of this, it is challenging for certain environmental organizations to promote hydrogen vehicles.
Director of the Sierra Club in California Kathryn Phillips said, “We need to remove methane out of the system, not create a dependency on creating more. ” The current utilization of state subsidies for hydrogen fuel cells is not the ideal one when seen from an environmental perspective.
Two responses are given by supporters: Why not trap and use the methane that is currently being released unregulated into the environment from landfills and oil and gas plants while the state makes the transition to a zero-carbon economy? Why not switch to a technique that doesn’t use methane and uses the state’s excess solar energy instead, making the manufacturing clean and environmentally friendly?
Hydrogen vehicles can’t compete in a key area: price, while having benefits over battery electrics or gasoline automobiles in terms of quicker filling, less weight, and greater range. The cost of a typical municipal bus could be $450,000. Similar standards for a hydrogen bus cost more like $1 million.
Lewis Fulton, a specialist in transportation at UC Davis, claims that hydrogen “presents numerous separate chicken-and-egg challenges simultaneously.
He asserted that there won’t be more hydrogen fuelling stations until there are more vehicles built and bought. Furthermore, unless there are sufficient gas stations, customers might be concerned about getting stranded and may not feel safe operating the vehicles.
The only solution, according to Fulton, is a really strong policy push. “In the state, there is already one going on, but I’m not sure if it’s big enough.
As part of its ongoing conflict with the Trump administration, which last year took away the state’s jurisdiction to establish its own tailpipe pollution rules, California’s efforts to promote the market for hydrogen cars could be hindered. Car manufacturers who supported looser emissions regulations with the federal government will pay a price by having their vehicles removed from the state’s fleet.
Toyota, which sided with Washington, would be excluded at a time when the business is stepping up its hydrogen program and is anticipated to dramatically increase customer awareness of hydrogen vehicles due to its position as a major multinational automaker.
Supporters played minimized the problem. Eckerle acknowledged that there was an issue. He continued, however, that there has been no sign from automakers that they plan to back out of their commitment to producing hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Is buying Mirai worthwhile?
For the appropriate buyer, a hydrogen fuel cell car like the Mirai can be a fantastic value. The Mirai includes a significant fuel allowance, and the incentives and tax breaks can make leasing or purchasing one much more affordable.
How long is the Mirai battery good for?
The normal battery life of a 2022 Toyota Mirai is 3 to 5 years, although actual battery life can vary greatly depending on driving patterns, weather, and battery type.
Do hydrogen fuel cells require refueling?
Vehicles fueled by hydrogen don’t require charging like a battery-electric vehicle does. They are refueled using hydrogen gas, which is pumped in the same secure and practical manner as a typical petrol or diesel car. The same length of time is required for filling up, between 3 and 5 minutes for a full tank.
Over 100 hydrogen fueling stations are already operational in Europe, and a pan-European program is already under progress to open more each year.
Are you still unsure about how to charge a hydrogen vehicle? See below for responses to some more frequently asked questions about fuel cell electric vehicles.
How long does it take a hydrogen automobile to refuel?
Hydrogen, the most prevalent element in the universe, is one of the cleanest and greenest fuels for motor vehicles. This is made possible by modern fuel cell technology, which utilizes compressed hydrogen gas in electric automobiles. Hydrogen reacts electrochemically in a fuel cell to create electricity that powers the vehicle. Water vapor is the only waste material.
Fueling is Easy and Fast
On a full tank of hydrogen, fuel cell electric vehicles typically have a range of 300 miles or more, and they can refuel in 3 to 5 minutes. Fueling with hydrogen takes no longer or requires less effort than fueling a regular car. See how fuel cells are unique from other forms of electric vehicles.
The majority of hydrogen refueling stations are situated inside of already-existing gas stations and use dispensers with a similar appearance but a different nozzle and hose.
California has more than 40 hydrogen stations as of October 2019, and more stations are being built. The network is growing, but the stations that are now available are mostly concentrated in key markets and in places that would facilitate statewide and vacation travel.
Fueling Costs
Fuel cells are roughly 2.5 times more efficient than gasoline engines, despite the fact that hydrogen is currently more expensive than gasoline. The majority of fuel cell car manufacturers also give three years’ worth of free fuel with a vehicle as an added incentive.
Hydrogen Production
Since hydrogen is always bound to other elements, using it in a fuel cell requires separating and purifying the hydrogen through a procedure. This has numerous alternatives, and there are numerous sources of hydrogen, many of which are renewable and low- to zero-carbon.
In the current market, industrial gas businesses that make hydrogen from natural gas are the main suppliers of hydrogen. No of the technology utilized to produce hydrogen, fuel cells are so much more efficient than gasoline-powered engines that the overall greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced (at least by half).
California is setting the standard for creating hydrogen fuel that is entirely sustainable, and there are numerous efforts in place to help with this goal.
Incentives
Electric vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells are eligible for numerous fantastic customer incentives. The biggest standard reimbursement offered by the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project for fuel cell electric vehicles is $5,000. Additionally eligible for the Clean Air Vehicle decal allowing solo access to carpool lanes are fuel cell vehicles. Find further advantages for electric vehicle owners in California.
Do cars driven by hydrogen require batteries?
Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) use electricity to power an electric motor, just like fully electric vehicles do. Unlike other electric vehicles, FCEVs produce their own electricity through the use of a fuel cell fuelled by hydrogen rather than relying solely on a battery. The size of the electric motor(s) that get electric power from the suitably sized fuel cell and battery combination defines the power of the vehicle during the vehicle design phase, according to the vehicle manufacturer. Although automakers could design an FCEV with plug-in functionality to charge the battery, the majority of FCEVs today use the battery for energy recovery from braking, extra power during brief acceleration events, and to smooth out the power delivered from the fuel cell with the option to idle or turn off the fuel cell during low power needs. The size of the hydrogen fuel tank affects how much energy can be stored on board. An all-electric car, on the other hand, has a close relationship between the amount of power and energy available and the size of the battery. Find out more about electric fuel cell automobiles.