Funding the hydrogen future

The Department of Energy's FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership programs hope to aid the domestic industry as it develops next-generation hydrogen and fuel-cell vehicles.

With BMW leasing the first hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine (ICE) sedans to consumers in March, U.S. auto manufacturers can be excused for getting a little nervous about the race for what many agree is the Holy Grail. That would be a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle-a car that uses no gasoline (unlike the BMW 7 Series-based Hydrogen 7) and has no carbon emissions. BMW is not there yet, but the hydrogen/gasoline Hydrogen 7 has some very interesting technological innovations that give it a leg up on Ford, for example, which has hydrogen/ICEs in demonstration commuter vans only.

Ford, however, uses gaseous hydrogen, which calls for a large, onboard storage tank. For a number of reasons, a gaseous hydrogen tank wouldn't work on a sedan, according to BMW-at least not until the hydrogen can be compressed to 10,000 psi (69 MPa). BMW uses liquid hydrogen, allowing it to put a small hydrogen tank in the rear seat of the Hydrogen 7 in addition to a conventional gasoline storage tank.