Hydrogen cars vs electric cars: the great debate

Elon Musk calls it mind bogglingly dumb.

Japan calls it energy of the future.

Whose camp should you join?

Electric vehicles have basked in the limelight for the past decade as the most transformational force in the transportation industry. What started as a mockery of the Californian upstart ended in the grandiose race between industry giants to shape the future. You name it, every car company worth their salt hustles to steal Tesla’s crown.

However, it’s wise to beware of tunnel vision. The author of “From Zero to One: Notes on Startups”, Peter Thiel, warns of the danger of defining your market too narrowly.

An example.

Railway companies ignored the rising popularity of airline companies. It was assumed that railway companies competed in the railway market, while airline companies competed in the airline market. In the 1960s, the majority of railway companies went belly up because of this logic.

Turns out, both railway and airline companies compete in the transportation market.

In the same vein, electric cars represent only a portion of the alternative energy transportation market, not all of it. There’re also hydrogen cars.

A quick chemistry brush-up: hydrogen is an element of a water molecule – H2O. It’s also found in the atmosphere. 

Given that water covers 71% of our planet, it makes sense that scientists find hydrogen technology particularly alluring. Why bother with solar panels when you can fulfill the same need with the most abundant resource around us?

You might be surprised to learn that hydrogen cars have moved beyond the stage of concept artwork. If you live in the US, you might actually see one cruising down the road. The name’s Toyota Mirai (Japanese for “future”).

That’s bold marketing on Toyota’s end. But do hydrogen cars actually deserve to be called the future of transportation, especially when you square them up against electric cars?

Recharge time

Do you bring snacks with you each time you park near an electric charging station? Or perhaps you binge Netflix? Or play Nintendo Switch?

Whatever the case, the wait time for electric vehicles to recharge might seem like an eternity for some, and for a good reason. 1 hour is nothing to sneeze at.  Let’s not even get started on the off-chance of waiting in the queue.

Hydrogen cars, on the other hand, recharge in a breeze. The total recharge time is 5 minutes. Second only to traditional vehicles.

And in case you’re wondering, no – you don’t charge hydrogen vehicles by pumping water into it. If only it were that simple.

Range

There’s not much to say about the range except that both electric and hydrogen cars can reach the 300-mile mark on a full tank. Toyota Mirai sports a 300-mile range, while the recent lineup of GM electric vehicles with Ultium batteries also promise a 300-mile range.

Though they might seem tied, hydrogen vehicles hold a secret advantage.

To extend the maximum range, electric vehicles face the law of diminishing returns. Picture a rocket launching into space. 

Rocket scientists must deal with the conundrum of mass versus power. At a certain point, you can’t just increase the size of the engine booster because of gravity. The additional power from engine size becomes less than the additional air resistance produced by it.

Same with electric batteries. To cover more distance, you need a bigger battery. A bigger battery weighs more, and costs more to produce, therefore limiting the maximum driving distance.

Hydrogen vehicles don’t face such constraints. Their tank size scales linearly, like that of a traditional vehicle, which helps.

Convenience

Since hydrogen derives from water,  you should be able to recharge your car simply by connecting it to a water pipe on the street (a la Tom and Jerry), right?

Unfortunately, we’re not at that point yet.

There are 1600+ Tesla charging stations in the US alone – 5,000 if you throw in competitors like GM.

Hydrogen stations in the US, on the other hand, reach only a measly 45. A raindrop in the ocean. The reason might do partly with the novelty of technology. However, not everywhere in the world is the same.

If you keep a kimono in the closet, recite the Samurai code of honour before a meal, and watch anime, then you would be curious to learn that Japan paves the way for becoming ‘the world’s first hydrogen society.’ Japan aims to build 160 hydrogen recharge stations and produce 40,000 hydrogen vehicles by the end of 2021 (at least that’s what they planned before coronavirus knocked on the door).

With powerhouses like Japan set on creating an infrastructure for hydrogen vehicles, the jury is out on whether electric cars will always present more convenience for the buyer.

Price

In the same vein as fossil fuel vehicles costing less than electric ones, it shouldn’t come as a shocker that electric vehicles cost less than hydrogen ones. Toyota Mirai sets you back $60,000, while entry-level electric vehicles start at $40,000.

But it’s not fair to compare only upfront costs because newer technology always costs more. Fuel price should also be factored into the equation.

Unfortunately, fuel price is the reason Elon Musk calls hydrogen vehicles mind bogglingly dumb.

Tesla model 3 swallows $10-$12 to fully recharge. By comparison, Toyota Mirai demands $85.

Why such an astronomical gap?

The answer lies in the extraction cost of hydrogen from natural elements. To extract hydrogen from water, you must perform a process called electrolysis. That’s like beating egg whites and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer, except the goal is to separate, not combine them.

This fancy process consumes a lot of energy. How much? About 50%. In other words, you lose half the energy you create. Not a productive use of time. The corresponding rate for solar panels is 99%. You don’t need a business degree to figure out which is better.

Conclusion

Imagine humanity playing a table-top pirate game, with the X mark designating a complete transitioning from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources. Two player figures, electric car and hydrogen car, race across zigzagging lines towards said X mark.

Hydrogen car covers more distance in a single turn. It bounces back from penalties faster. But it’s just started its journey towards the X mark, while electric car’s been in the game for 20 turns already and enjoying special perks from a huge head-start.

Guess it remains to be seen what happens next.

For a low down on EVs, check this piece out.

Also, here’s the first look at the 2021 Toyota Mirai concept.