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California is already beginning to build an infrastructure for a hydrogen future. Thankfully there's no silly messing around with biodiesel (which is complicated and requires farming). Their main site is here:

http://www.hydrogenhighway.ca.gov/ ..and there's a map here:
http://www.cafcp.org/fuel-vehl_map.html
http://www.hydrogenhighway.ca.gov/facts/cah2net_ma ps.pdf

(Warning, last link there is a PDF but it's more detailed). And these guys:

http://www.stuartenergy.com/ ..are one of the key companies that seem to be making the equipment for a fueling station. There are also a bunch of car manufacturers participating like GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and BMW... full list here:

http://www.hydrogenhighway.ca.gov/partners/partner s.htm

Anyway, the plan seems to be to concentrate on the population centers first (cities), then to gradually build hydrogen fueling stations out along the highways connecting the major population centers. This should solve the "chicken-and-egg" problem of needing widespread hydrogen stations before anyone is able to sell hydrogen cars.

Eventually (I guess), there will be enough hydrogen stations to sell hydrogen cars outside of fleet leases, then hydrogen stations will gradually replace gasoline stations. And it'll spread. I know I'd buy a hydrogen car tomorrow if it had a comparable capacity to my existing vehicle, they were available, and there was a fueling station within a 10 mile radius!

The nice thing about Hydrogen is that development has come so far in so little time - and it looks like all the big problems are finally coming together: efficient solar electric generation is on the way (or there's always the genetically-engineered bacteria that produces hydrogen); nano-engineered nickel has the promise of efficient hydrogen storage (instead of using exotic metals); advanced fuel cells do a fantastic job at hydrogen to electricity conversion; ultracapacitors work better than batteries for storing energy stored during regenerative braking.

Yes, the biggest problem with hydrogen is currently production - but it's simply that we've not yet built such an infrastructure because there's not yet been the demand. It doesn't matter how you make the electricity required to extract hydrogen from water via simple chemistry (nuclear, solar, mirror in space, etc). But when you think of the logistics of digging up and transporting millions of barrels of oil halfway around the world - and that energy companies do this daily - it seems like there would be no problem for them to scale hydrogen production up if they wanted to.

Our hydrogen future is gradually coming together. I can't wait.

My contribution is an answer to how you can change electricity to hydrogen, store it, and reuse it:
http://www.stuartenergy.com/main_our_products.html

The technology exists. Read about it. Think. Then post!

1. http://www.stuartenergy.com/main_news.html

Fuel cells are going to be a revolution in how we use energy, simply by the transfer of energy. If you compare how much energy of a gasoline engine actually makes the car go, compared to that of fuel cell vehicle, it is a massive difference. I don't know where the comparisons could be with fuel cell batteries verses our current lithium, etc.

Sure, they don't solve all of the problems, but they don't add any new ones to the environment, and that is at least half of a solution to the total energy picture.

If a person was very dedicated to green power themselves, they could hook up a few small $1000 windmill generators to make their own electricity and power their own personal fuel appliance from Stewart Energy Systems

You can get hydrogen by a reverse process to the fuel cell - water and electricity go in and hydrogen comes out - electrolysis. Here is a link to a company that is aiming to make the equivalent to a "gas pump" for hydrogen: Stewart Energy

Electric vehicles have never made sense to me, from a Canadian perspective. Even in many parts of the U.S., the power available in winter from any battery system will be useless in severe cold temperatures.

The automakers are really more interested in hydrogen powered fuel cells.

There are many subtopics off of this news item.

One concept being discussed is that non-petroleum energy sources are not currently available which are environmentally friendly. If I hook up a hydrogen electrolysis machine (available from Stewart Energy Systems to my 220 volt household, it is probably getting juice from nuclear power today. But the future might be different. If I really wanted to, I could have a small windmill or two set up to generate the electricity needed to convert the water to hydrogen.

There are two problems we are solving, and we don't need to do them at the exact same time. One problem is that we need alternate fuel vehicles as gas and oil will eventually be unfound. Another problem is that we want a clean and renewable energy source. Hydrogen power in cars will be part of the solution, and finding sources of electricity that are cleaner will be another solution.

Another topic coming up is that people don't want to give up today's current horsepower and styling. Well, you can probably credit the early efforts of the petroleum industry for making the electric car concept appear in the front pages and then fail. I think this has changed now. They realize the petroleum reserves are down, and if they want to live on in any way they have to adapt to the next wave. You should not assume the production vehicles are going to come with puny horsepower, etc., of the early generation concept cars. There is no reason why we won't see hydrogen powered 18 wheelers, heavy equipment, etc. All you have to do is build the same with more power. Right now this technology is in the R&D phase, with many advancements coming each year. I've heard the big automakers have 2010 as the rollout date for fuel cell vehicles appearing in showrooms.

A major player in this is Ballard Power Systems, who have been working with many of the automakers. GM have decided to develop their own fuel cell technology.

It looks like this is many people's first discussion on the concept of alternate fuel vehicles.

First of all, forget everything you've seen about electric powered vehicles that look like golf carts with bad style. You have fallen hook, line, and sinker for what the oil companies wanted you to do. They wanted you to say "yuck" and underpowered and go back to the big hairy SUVs and sports sedans. Point 1 for petro companies, 0 for the geeks.

If you look at the electric powered vehicle outside of a climate like California (why do they introduce them in a place where battery power will always be at a peak?), you know without even starting pilot tests that this technology is doomed to failure in climates that get a touch of winter. Even if you get only 4 cold days a year, if that means you can do limited range and no hills, it is a failure. Batteries as energy storage make no sense in a territory where people have problems starting their gas powered cars with lead acid batteries.

The real solutions will be in hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles. The electricity will be generated on demand from fuel cells, and there will be the same range of power available in the future as there is now. One benefit in going this way is 4 wheel drive available by putting a motor on each wheel.

Ballard Power and Stewart Energy Systems are two companies prepared to offer fuel cells and electrolysis systems to the market. Many of the big automakers have been involved with one or both of these companies. There are others.

GM is developing its own fuel cell solution.

Today there are limits on range, power and performance for hydrogen. These are getting better every year as competing companies break down the old technological walls.

The concept machines have little to do with the over all picture. The auto makers are targetting 2010 for the year you will be able to pick up a hydrogen powered car and then go around the block to Shell or whatever for a fill up.