People and car manufacturers say that electric cars are the future because they are environmentally friendly and do not make noise like fuel-based cars. But while on the other side, the Hydrogen cars also fall in the same category – they are also quiet and do not harm the environment as the waste from a hydrogen car is just water (H2O) which is environmentally friendly and safe.
But now if you look at the trend of cars in the market, you will find that people who once used to talk about hydrogen cars, now do not even talk about them and only promote electric cars on various platforms.
So what changed in last 10 years? Why people now demand for Ev car? How electric cars left behind hydrogen cars in India & Globally? Let’s get in to this in detail below and understand why this happened and what it means for the future.
At present, when you look at the roads, you will notice one thing that electric cars are slowly but surely changing the face of our transportation. There was a time when people were hesitant to buy electric cars, but now when the price of EV car is within the budget and EV infrastructure is in good condition, people are showing more and more interest in buying it without any doubt.
While they seemed like just a dream a few years ago, today they have become a reality. But meanwhile, another technology that had a lot of expectations – hydrogen cars – is nowhere to be seen. Let’s understand why this happened and what it means for the future.
Electric Cars
Electric cars not a new concept. It was in the use since 1832 (just was a concept), but when oil was discovered, nobody gave the attention to electric cars as they need batteries (short lifespan and limited range), while on the other hand the diesel based vehicle are convenient to drive and powerful in term of speed, range, and technology.
So at that time concept of electric cars dropped and no further invention made. But when it has been noticed by the government, and scientists that fuel is limited and we need a better alternative, the electric cars once again came in the scene and here Tesla owner, Elon musk worked on EV car and launched a new electric car that you can charge at home, or at the charging stations and even take it on long trips without worrying about the range anxiety.
Initially, when Tesla launched its first car, very few people thought that this technology would become mainstream so soon. But today, every major car company is introducing electric models. The reason for this is not just environmental concerns, but also technological advancements and government policies.
In India, the government has set a target of making 30% of vehicles electric by 2030. This ambitious target shows how much importance the country is giving to this technology. Many incentives are also being given for this, such as GST exemptions, subsidies, and free RTO facility or Zero registration charges.
Improvements in battery technology have also accelerated this revolution. Today’s electric cars can run up to 500-800 kilometers on a single charge, which is enough for most people. Also, with the fast DC chargers the charging time is also decreased. Some new models charge up to 80% in 30 minutes.
Even if we talk about India, then there are some car models that you can charge quickly within 30-40 minutes using the 50 kWh DC charger and take it on long trip!
Electric cars are also becoming increasingly competitive in terms of cost. Although the initial price is still higher than petrol cars, they are cheaper in the long run. Low electricity prices and low maintenance costs are the main reason for this.
Additionally, in upcoming years when more car companies will manufacture cars in India or competition will increase then these cars will become affordable.
For now, in India – Mg comet EV, Tata Tigao EV, Punch EV, Tigor EV, and Citroen eC3 are few affordable electric cars that you can buy in budget of ₹12 Lakh.
The running cost of electric car in India is around Rs 1-2.5 per km and for heavy cars this cost is around Rs 1.5 -3.5 per km. So overall as compare to fuel based cars the running cost is 50-70% cheaper and hence people prefer to buy electric cars over fuel-based cars which costs Rs 7-9 per km.
This is not the end, the EV car manufacturers are continuously working on the batteries, charging time, interior, exterior, motor etc so they can give better and fast pace environment to customers.
Hydrogen Cars
On the other hand, the hydrogen cars use the fuel cells that convert hydrogen gas into electric current and that electric current powers up the car motor and a car moves in forward or backward direction. As compared to electric cars, the fuel cells of hydrogen cars are 100% renewable, take less time in refueling and that’s the reason it is called the future of cars.
But the reality is, hydrogen cars which once considered the vehicle of the future, are still in the early stages. Many people thought that the next-gen cars would be hydrogen based cars because they release the water as waste, and fuel cells are renewable which is 100% safe for the environment.
But the current situation is that hydrogen cars failed to impress the public or car manufactures and nothing happened anything big that you can consider revolutionary in the car market. The reasons why hydrogen car is still out of the competition are:
Lack of infrastructure
Building an infrastructure is challenging for every fuel or gas and hence the same law apply on the hydrogen. As hydrogen is a flammable gas, the stations building process to store the gas is very expensive and complex. In a country like India, where power supply is also a challenge, creating a network of hydrogen stations is even more difficult.
Tank Safety
As Hydrogen is highly flammable, and storing and transporting it safely is a big challenge. This challenge is at both side – first at the hydrogen stations and second in the tank of car. Though, companies do their best but still it is risky and very risky.
To counter it, some technological solutions exist, but guys these are expensive and difficult to implement on a large scale. If implemented, then still overall gas cost will increase which will be expensive as compared to per unit of electricity. So why so much investment if it is a burden on a person.
Production of Hydrogen
Last but not least, the hydrogen gas production is still expensive. Most hydrogen is made from natural gas, which is a fossil fuel. The production of green hydrogen, which comes from renewable sources, is still very expensive and if you try to transport it from other sources then it would be challenging.
Due to these challenges, the development of hydrogen cars has been slow and many people opt for the similar cheap alternatives like electric car. Some companies, such as Toyota, Hyundai, and Honda are working on this technology, but mass production and sales are still a distant dream.
For now, Toyota Mirai, Hyundai Nexo, Honda Clarity Fuel Cell are few hydrogen based cars that available in the global market, but they all are in very limited quantity and Price is above ₹60 Lakh.
Conclusion: Electric Car vs Hydrogen Car
If we talk about the electric and hydrogen cars, then both are environment friendly but from safety and affordability point of view, the electric cars clearly win the race and the reasons are:
- Per unit of electricity is quite cheap
- Safe and secure
- Powerful and Futuristic
- Environment friendly
- Affordable
On the other hand if we talk about the hydrogen cars, these they lack at various points, like:
- Per kg cost of green house is expensive around $5-8 (Rs 650/Kg).
- Safety of hydrogen tank placed in car is a big concern, it doesn’t give confidence.
- Hydrogen cars are very expensive and everyone can’t buy it easily.
- Fewer refueling stations and expensive maintenance.
Overall, if you analyze things, you will find out that even after years of research, hydrogen cars are not 100% safe and are quite expensive too. Many people have opted for the cheaper option which is electric cars and many car manufacturers around the world are working on it and these are affordable too.
As public now interested in electric cars, who will invest in the hydrogen cars?
So, the answer is that no one will take the risk of selling those products in the market if they will remain unsold in the showrooms. Hence, this is the reason, electric cars have clearly won the race, while hydrogen cars are nowhere to be seen.
But does this mean that the future of hydrogen cars is over? Probably not. Hydrogen technology has some advantages that can make it important in the future. For example, hydrogen cars take less time to refuel and can travel longer distances. Therefore, it can be a better option for heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses.
It can be said that electric cars are definitely on their way to victory, but the race is not over yet. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future. But one thing is for sure – our roads and our transport are changing, and this change is extremely important for our environment and quality of life.
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