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iconosynclast | 3 years ago

The thing is that the vehicles really aren't interesting at all unless you already have an energy surplus that makes the fuel cheap. unless you have that all you have is a vehicle that burns an expensive and or non renewable fuel (most hydrogen right now doesn't come from electrolysis) while getting just ok range and with the included headache of carting around a 700bar storage system and dubious ecological benefits over bad old hydrocarbons

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ZeroGravitas|3 years ago

We do have an energy surplus, we're just currently wasting a ridiculous amount of it for no particularly good reason.

Take the gas burned in homes for heating, burn it in power plants to generate electricity, power much more efficient heat pumps. We're already saving money and energy. Some countries figured this out in the 1970s.

Simultaneously, build out cheap renewables, to burn less gas for electricity production.

Same story for vehicles, take that oil/gasoline, burn it in power plants, use it to charge much more efficient EVs.

Hydrogen then can replace fossil fuels in other areas, e.g. fertilizers. (Again, put that now unused gas into electricity plants).

And so on, a virtuous cycle that takes you all the way to net zero and beyond.