Author Biography

Brayden Cascio is a USU student who just completed the first year and will begin the sophomore year in the fall. He is the oldest of seven kids, followed by his six sisters, whom he adores. Brayden enjoys working on his 1990 Jeep Wrangler and always being outdoors, whether camping, fishing, off-roading, snowboarding, swimming, or climbing. He is currently working part-time and taking the summer off from full-time school and is progressing toward his Marketing major.

This essay was composed in March 2024 and uses MLA documentation.

One of today’s most common and widespread controversial debates is the human impact on the environment and climate change. And perhaps the most focused area regarding our effects and how to reduce them is the transportation sector, especially in the US. In the last decade, we have seen significant growth in the number of electric vehicle sales, especially within the last few years. A report by Daniel C. Vock even says that “EVs made up 21.4 percent of new car sales in the state in 2023, up from 5.2 percent in 2019. Another 3.4 percent of new cars in 2023 were plug-in hybrids” (Vock). Efforts of government agencies have contributed to this rise, in part by setting further stricter emissions regulations on gas vehicle production and giving incentives to those who purchase electric cars. The White House’s website talks about “President Biden’s goal of having 50 percent of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030” and “America’s historic transition to electric vehicles (EV) under the EV Acceleration Challenge” (The White House). “A group of states led by California went even further: They require all new cars sold after 2035 to be zero-emissions vehicles, such as EVs or hybrids that can run for 50 miles on batteries… So far, 17 states have adopted some or all of California’s regulations on low-emissions and zero-emissions vehicles” (Vock).

Electric cars are more environmentally friendly overall and more efficient than gas vehicles, but not all people are able to or wish to buy electric cars. The limited range, long recharging times, various safety concerns, and even aspects of the looks and sounds of electric cars are a few reasons that some people dislike them despite their growing popularity. I am generally found on this end of not being an EV fan, but I can also recognize that there is an adverse environmental effect, and if nothing else, I recognize the fact that fossil fuels are not sustainable and eventually we will run out. Unfortunately, the debate between EVs and gas cars has become quite polarized in many cases, and the people on either side of it often end up seeing the other as the opposition. This usually ends with views of others as either stubborn and uncooperative or inconsiderate and forceful, further exacerbating the issue. With the size and commonality of this conflict, I, and most other Americans, only hear about the two options: gas and electricity. What we don’t hear are alternatives, more creative solutions, or compromise. However, there may already be a lesser-known middle ground, a clean fuel technology to power cars that we have already been working on for decades: Hydrogen.

Cars powered by Hydrogen take some of the best parts of both gas and electric cars, combining them to provide a car that runs on renewable and plentiful fuel, has good range, quick refuel times, and only water spitting out the tailpipe. “There are two major kinds of hydrogen vehicles – hydrogen combustion and hydrogen fuel cell,” says Laurance Yap, an automotive journalist who works for Porsche. He continues to explain that “both rely on hydrogen stored under pressure in an on-board tank, which can be refueled in a similar amount of time to gasoline” (Yap). For combustion vehicles the Hydrogen is injected from the tanks into the engine where it is burned, producing the power to drive the car forward and emitting water and very trace amounts of nitrous oxides. Jasper Jolly is a reporter for the Guardian and he describes the process of a Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle quite nicely. He says that “the hydrogen reacts with the oxygen from the air in the presence of a catalyst (often made from expensive platinum). That strips electrons that can run through an electric circuit, charging a battery that can power an electric motor” (Jolly). This means fuel cell vehicles are quite like electric vehicles since they are both powered by electric motors and have similar batteries, although Hydrogen fuel cell car batteries are smaller to accommodate the tanks. “Ultimately, hydrogen fuel cells are the cleaner technology – electric motors are more efficient and do not produce nitrogen oxide like combustion does” (Yap). But for those who are accustomed to and prefer the feel and sound of a gas car, or for those who like electric cars but require quicker refueling, Hydrogen cars could prove to be a very effective way to bridge the gap between gas and electric cars. That way, it’d be possible for people to buy a car that best fits their lifestyle and get many more zero-emission cars on the road, replacing many gas-powered vehicles, and making a substantial impact in the efforts to reduce emissions.

Unfortunately, what makes these Hydrogen vehicles work is also what prevents them from becoming widespread in use: the Hydrogen gas itself. Hydrogen is the simplest and the most common element in the universe but it is almost always found bound to other atoms, necessitating some form of an extractive process. “Most pure hydrogen today is made by splitting carbon from methane” (Jolly). When Hydrogen is separated from the natural gas drilled from the ground, it is either considered gray or blue Hydrogen, depending on whether the remaining carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere or stored permanently underground. Another process called electrolysis involves extracting Hydrogen from water, which is called green Hydrogen and it releases the oxygen from the water in the process. “Run through a fuel cell, the hydrogen immediately gives back that energy, in the form of electricity, as soon as it combines with oxygen” (Voelcker). Since we can extract Hydrogen from water it does make it a renewable resource, meaning that we won’t run out of it anytime soon. and after it is used by Hydrogen cars, it is combined with oxygen and turned into water once again. However, as Alice Klein writes in her article, there are still issues associated with this green Hydrogen. “‘Green’ hydrogen can be made by splitting water using solar or wind power, but this involves multiple steps, each using energy along the way. In contrast, a single energy step is required to directly recharge a car battery at home” (Klein). This then makes the argument that if creating hydrogen is not as efficient as simply using an electric car, why bother making them at all? And because of the current hassles in creating hydrogen, it is more expensive to fill up a Hydrogen car than an electric or even a gas-powered car. It’s only even possible to do so in California, as it is the only state in the US that currently has public commercial fueling stations. These compounded issues are why the use of Hydrogen cars in the US has been so limited. As Jolly says, “There has been a chicken-and-egg problem: buyers don’t want hydrogen cars because they can’t fill them, and there are no filling stations because there are no cars” (Jolly).

Several automakers like Stellantis and Toyota still hope to eventually make Hydrogen cars a realistic option in addition to gas and electric cars (Jolly). However, the current nuisance of refueling isn’t the only thing standing in the way. Toyota’s own website shows the base purchase price of their Hydrogen fuel cell car called the Mirai is found at $50,190 MSRP (Toyota). Green car automotive journalist John Voelcker quotes the California Hydrogen Business Council, which says that “Currently, a kilogram of hydrogen costs between $10 and $17 at California hydrogen stations, which equals about $5 to $8.50 per gallon of gasoline” to cover the same distance.” This is why Toyota has included up to $15,000 of complementary Hydrogen fuel with the purchase of their Mirai (Voelcker). Additionally, if more fueling stations were to be built and the processes of creating Hydrogen improved, Hydrogen cars could be great for many different people and uses.

Another side mentioned by Klein is the benefits of hydrogen power for heavy and constant-use vehicles. She quotes Michael Dolan at Australia’s National Science Organization, who says, “The shorter refueling time and longer range of hydrogen fuel cells also make them appealing for taxis, buses, and long-haul trucks, says Dolan. ‘These vehicles can’t afford to be stopping for hours at a time to recharge’”. She also says that “Hydrogen fuel cells are already finding applications in these heavy-use vehicles… A fleet of 180 hydrogen taxis, private-hire and police cars is being trialled in London, Paris and Brussels, and retailer Amazon has recently invested in hydrogen-powered forklifts for its warehouses. US manufacturer Nikola Motors, meanwhile, says it has received 11,000 pre-orders for its hydrogen fuel cell truck” (Klein). Regular consumers who prefer the refueling aspects of gas cars but also wish to contribute to reducing the effects of climate change and other environmental impacts could benefit from owning a Hydrogen car. And car enthusiasts, which is not exactly a small crowd, are typically fans of engines, their sounds, and the experience of driving the gas powered cars we have now. Hydrogen cars could be a way to introduce a whole new realm of cars to these enthusiasts, or if nothing else, ease them into the world of clean cars, allowing the continued use of combustion engines. Mike Copeland, who has been in the automotive industry and long-time hot rodder, has already proven it to be possible. He has successfully converted a 1948 Chevrolet pickup, a 1964 Ford Falcon, and even a Chevy-powered monster truck to be fueled by Hydrogen with outstanding results. He says “If we’re going to stick with internal combustion, then hydrogen is the most likely path to get us there” (Strohl).

I consider myself to be an automotive enthusiast and find some of my favorite cars to be Jeeps, trucks, and muscle cars, none of which are geared with environmental friendliness at the forefront of their designs. However I also recognize that the huge scale on which gas cars and fossil fuels are used has a significant contribution to global warming and has accelerated climate change. For this reason, I think that the cars that are of interest to enthusiasts, even if they are not the most economical, should still be allowed for those that wish to continue using them, but to also further develop clean cars that the majority of people will buy for everyday life. To achieve the greatest results in lowering emissions possible, I think having a variety of transportation options for people to choose that best fits their lifestyle will get us those larger numbers of clean vehicles in use rather than the typical gas cars. Hydrogen cars today are not in a place to have a large impact but with further investments and technological developments, they could become a very practical supplement to electric cars. This would enable us to attain the highest amount of clean cars seeing regular and constant use. And after all, if that’s the true goal, how could Hydrogen cars not be considered a necessary part of the picture in our future?

Works Cited

“2024 Toyota Mirai.” Toyota, Toyota, www.toyota.com/mirai/. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.

“Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Private and Public Sector Investments for Affordable Electric Vehicles.” The White House, The United States Government, 17 Apr. 2023, www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/04/17/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-private-and-public-sector-investments-for-affordable-electric-vehicles/#:~:text=As%20part%20of%20President%20Biden’s,under%20the%20EV%20Acceleration%20Challenge.

Jolly, Jasper. “Will Hydrogen Overtake Batteries in the Race for Zero-Emission Cars?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 13 Feb. 2024, www.theguardian.com/business/2024/feb/13/will-hydrogen-overtake-batteries-in-the-race-for-zero-emission-cars.

Klein, Alice. “Gassed up and Ready to Go.” New Scientist, vol. 239, no. 3194, Sept. 2018, pp. 20–21. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1016/S0262-4079(18)31612-9.

Strohl, Daniel. “Zero-Carbon Hot-Rodding? Mike Copeland Thinks He Can Do It With Hydrogen.” Hemmings.Com, 25 July 2023, www.hemmings.com/stories/copeland-hydrogen-internal-combustion/.

Vock, Daniel C.. “Electric Vehicles”. CQ Researcher, 01 Mar 2024. Thousand Oaks, California: CQ Press, 2024. 9 Apr 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.4135/cqresrre20240301

Voelcker, John. “Hydrogen Cars: Everything You Need to Know.” Car and Driver, Hearst Autos, 26 Sept. 2022, www.caranddriver.com/features/a41103863/hydrogen-cars-fcev/.

Yap, Laurance. “How Hydrogen Vehicles Work: GreenCars.” GreenCars, 1 Feb. 2024, www.greencars.com/greencars-101/how-hydrogen-vehicles-work.