Hydrogen fuel is rapidly emerging as a clean energy carrier solution that has the
potential to decarbonize a variety of industries, including, or predominantly,
the transportation industry. Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), which
electrochemically combine stored hydrogen with atmospheric oxygen to efficiently
generate electricity while producing only water vapor and small amounts of heat,
are heralded to be a game-changing technology. The so-called hydrogen economy
has the potential to displace traditional fossil fuel-based economy, with the
transportation industry being the first mover in the hydrogen space.
Technological advances made in the last decade in the areas of hydrogen
generation and fuel cell technology have enabled the current uptake of
hydrogen-based solutions for vehicle applications. Reduced costs, climate
change, and carbon tax mechanisms are driving many governments, manufacturers,
and consumers toward hydrogen-powered vehicles. The major drawbacks of hydrogen
compared to the other competing clean-energy technologies (e.g., battery power),
is the high cost of hydrogen refueling and FCEVs. However, application of the
economy of scale will enable further cost reduction and broad international
uptake of hydrogen in automotive applications.
This SAE EDGE™ Research Report explores the opportunities and challenges of
hydrogen and fuel cell systems in the automotive industry. With the help of
expert contributors, several different technological, economic, and safety
aspects are considered to develop a better understanding of this emerging
hydrogen-based automotive industry. While debates between proponents of battery
electric vehicles (BEVs) and FCEVs continue, the current report discusses the
unsettled issues in the latter technology and presents a critical overview of
the hydrogen and fuel cell systems in the automotive industry. Finally, the
report concludes with a series of recommendations aimed at the industry and
government stakeholders for implementing and advancing hydrogen transportation
projects.
NOTE: SAE EDGE™ Research Reports are intended to identify and illuminate critical
issues in emerging, but still unsettled, technologies of interest to the
mobility industry. The goal of SAE EDGE™ Research Reports is to stimulate
discussion and work in the hope of promoting and speeding resolution of
identified issues. SAE EDGE™ Research Reports are not intended to resolve the
issues they identify or close any topic to further scrutiny.