Electromobility and Hydrogen

What is Electromobility?

Electromobility, or e-mobility is using electric motors to drive the wheels of a vehicle. 

Why electrify the drivetrain?

• Electric drive systems are smaller, lighter, and have fewer moving parts than internal combustion engines, and are lower cost to manufacture.

• Kinetic energy can be recovered by the electric motor in “generator mode” and power stored on the on-board batteries or supercapacitor.  This can reduce break pad wear by over 90% and reduce “fuel” consumption by 20 to 30%.

• Zero tailpipe emissions is possible with battery electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles that use hydrogen fuel cell technology. 

What are hydrogen fuel cells?

Hydrogen fuel can be combusted in a spark ignition engine or a gas turbine, however when hydrogen reacts with oxygen (air) using a fuel cell, an electro-chemical reaction takes place instead of mechanical (explosions and reciprocating piston engines). The Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM)  fuel cell is preferred for automotive applications due to its low temperature and high-performance characteristics. A PEM produces electricity to power the electric motor using hydrogen fuel at more than 2x the efficiency of an internal combustion engine (ICE), zero carbon tailpipe emissions and provides comparable driving distances to traditional technology using less onboard fuel storage.  

PEM fuel cells may be fabricated in many sizes and are solid state devices:  air and H2 go into the fuel cell, DC power is produced and warm air with water (H20) is exhausted. 

Is hydrogen made from natural gas “dirty”?

All hydrogen fuel used in fuel cell vehicles offers the local air quality benefits of zero tailpipe emissions regardless of how it was produced.

While there are CO2 emissions released during the production of hydrogen from natural gas or bio-methane, it is less than half of the CO2 emitted when methane is used to fuel comparably sized CNG vehicles without any tailpipe emissions.

The same quantity of natural gas that would fuel 1000 buses would fuel 2500 hydrogen fuel cell buses on the same bus routes,

So while the conversion of natural gas to hydrogen does produce a CO2 emissions at the energy conversion faculty, the use of hydrogen fuel cell technology for buses and heavy duty trucks allows for a 55 to 65% net energy use reduction as well as zero tailpipe emissions.

Why Hydrogen?

Hydrogen is the only zero emission fuel.  

Hydrogen is an energy carrier, an energy storage method, and zero emission fuel. Hydrogen can be locally produced . Hydrogen is non-toxic to humans, animals and plants.

When hydrogen combines with oxygen using fuel cells,  energy is released as electricity  with the only byproducts of water (H2O) and heat. 

Hydrogen stands alone among all of the fuels as it creates no toxic carbon monoxide asphyxiation risks of CO2.   All other energy carriers such as gasoline, natural gas (88% or more methane), propane, LPG, and methanol have toxic qualities and make CO and CO2 as byproducts of combustion (use).   

All fuels leak, between production and the end use point, only hydrogen has zero environmental impact or harmful emissions. 

What is the hydrogen cycle?

The hydrogen cycle is circular, unlike the Carbon Cycle which is a one-way trip from fossil fuel to energy use and results CO2 released to the atmosphere, . The complete carbon cycle includes uptake by plants, consumption by animals and decomposition into hydrocarbons

When electrolysis is used to produce hydrogen, the only feedstock is water and electrical energy, the separated oxygen goes to the atmosphere directly and is then gathered by an air compressor on the fuel cell vehicle to be reacted with hydrogen in the fuel cell to make water again.  

When hydrogen is made from natural gas, half of the hydrogen comes from water and half from the natural gas (CH4). Carbon Dioxide is emitted at the fuel processor (Steam Methane Reformer). As hydrogen is converted to energy the byproducts are only low grade heat and water.