In all the world, the environment problems originated from the intensive petroleum compounds consumption, and the perspective of a future exhaust of this source, has lead to researches of alternative fuels for this compounds, mainly obtained from renewable energy sources.
Among many proposed fuel supplement systems, the hydrogen use has deserved outstanding treatment, as in internal combustion motors or in fuel-cells (electric-type vehicles).
This work shows the actual art’s state of the hydrogen utilization in automotive uses, analyzing the mainly problems and solutions related to the internal combustion motor adaptation for this application, as the pre-ignition and backfire effect, the power losses by the gaseous fuel usage, the nitrogen oxides emission (unique pollutant emitted in the hydrogen combustion), etc..
The main researches and development programs of the hydrogen utilization as a fuel are also described, remarkably the programs in course in Japan (Sunshine Project), in Germany and in United States.
Concluding, this work presents the experiences already realized in UNICAMP with hydrogen automotive usage, and the project in development, of an electric-type hybrid urban vehicle, supplied by a motor-generator group adapted to hydrogen usage.