The government’s hydrogen policy is ambitious, yet it excludes the hydrogen automobile. There are compelling reasons for this.
Hydrogen, yes but only for business. This is how Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler and Economics Minister Martin Kocher outlined the Federal Government’s hydrogen plan announced yesterday. By 2030, climate-neutral hydrogen will have replaced 80% of the hydrogen generated now from fossil natural gas. Furthermore, the building of green hydrogen generating plants will be sponsored by 40 million euros each year in the future. Hydrogen should eventually take the role of natural gas in industry. The hydrogen automobile, which has been a hot subject in recent domestic top politics, is nowhere to be seen in the strategy. That’s for a variety of reasons.
The comparison of a hydrogen automobile vs. an electric car yields a clear winner
Because, when it comes to individual mobility, a hydrogen automobile vs. an e-car comparison favors the latter. This is reflected in the statistics: just four hydrogen automobiles using fuel cell technology were registered in Austria in the first half of 2021, the most recent period for which Statistics Austria has detailed data. Austria also has just five hydrogen automobile filling facilities, all of which are run by OMV. Thousands of e-charging stations, on the other hand, are now available, with varying levels of quality.
With a hydrogen automobile, increased energy loss means higher expenses
There are certain clear shortcomings when compared to battery-powered e-cars. For example, the energy loss when electrolyzing (in the case of “green hydrogen” from water, solar, or wind power) and storing the hydrogen, as well as when converting it back into electricity in the fuel cell, is extremely high, requiring significantly more energy than an e-car for the same distance. As a result, it’s unsurprising that the hydrogen automobile costs more to operate than the electric car. It can, however, keep up with combustion engines in this regard.
The disadvantages of electric vehicles are fast dissipating
Simultaneously, owing to technological advancements, the two fundamental drawbacks of e-cars that existed until recently are disappearing: Even cheaper versions can now keep up with hydrogen cars in terms of range, and the advent of fast-charging infrastructure means that charging periods are becoming less of an issue. Both technologies, by the way, are not inherently climate-friendly. When it comes to e-cars, it all relies on where the power comes from. Green hydrogen presently has just a little function to play. 99 percent of the world’s supply is derived from natural gas or coal, or is produced as a by-product in refineries; however, Austria’s new hydrogen plan aims to change that.
Trucks, trains, and planes powered by hydrogen may still be viable options
The fuel cell, on the other hand, should not be dismissed as a viable option for the whole mobility industry. According to research, due to the benefit of refueling vs loading time, vehicles in freight transport can reach such a high utilization rate that the technology becomes profitable in comparison. On non-electrified routes, railway operators can replace diesel trains with fuel cell trains; the BB has already done so in passenger transport. Furthermore, hydrogen propulsion provides advantages in long-distance air travel; Airbus has unveiled three different hydrogen aircraft concepts in development.
