Error parsing XSLT file: \xslt\FacebookOpenGraph.xslt Paul Barker's blog: 26 July 2013 - Cost is the big question mark with hydrogen's future
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Paul Barker's blog: 26 July 2013 - Cost is the big question mark with hydrogen's future

Date: 26 July 2013

Paul Barker is editor of BusinessCar

It was interesting to attend the hydrogen event organised by Hyundai last week and hear from various stakeholders.

It seems the product is nearly ready, and there are plans and the expertise in place for a gentle roll-out of infrastructure so the cars can be fuelled, although it'll need some careful planning from users initially.

Three Government departments have become involved in the UK H2 Mobility programme aimed at ensuring the technology has the best chance of successfully launching into the UK, seen as one of three key markets along with Scandinavia and Germany.

In fact, the answers to most - but not all - of the questions were given at the event, and inspired confidence.

However, cost is the tricky issue. Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles can be fuelled in the same way and time as a petrol or diesel model, and have the same range, so there's none of the range-anxiety and lengthy recharge time that electric cars face.

But it looks, initially at least, like they will be significantly more expensive than internal combustion-engined cars, and offer no cost advantage in fuel terms.

At least with firms trying electric vehicles, the excess up-front cost can be eaten up by fuel savings if the cars are put to use in the ways that best serve their characteristics and limitations - i.e. lots of low-mileage journeys.

But hydrogen's big conundrum is one that no one at the event had an answer for - how will it appeal on cost grounds as well as the considerable environmental benefits of renewable zero-tailpipe emission motoring?



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