Here is some information about hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles

While electric vehicle (EV) are certainly the buzz these days in Malaysia, they are all battery-powered.

But did you know that there is actually another way out there currently to power an EV? Yes, it is done with the use of a hydrogen fuel cell? This program or idea is making waves in Sarawak, Malaysia where the cost of production is very low when compared to Peninsular Malaysia. 

In fact, production versions of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (HFCVs) have actually been on the market for well over a decade now, with it offering some distinct benefits over the conventional battery-powered electric vehicles (BEV) as well.

Unfortunately, due to a confluence of factors, market penetration remains elusive for HFCVs, and this has thus lead to many still being in the dark regarding this interesting zero-tailpipe emissions motoring alternative.

1. What Is A Hydrogen Fuel Cell EV?

Very simply here, the propulsion part of a HFCV is actually much the same as in a regular battery-powered EV, as driving the wheels of a HFCV is still to be an electric motor.

The difference between a BEV and a HFCV only starts from how the motors are powered, with electricity to be generated on-board a HFCV from a hydrogen fuel cell stack instead of coming from stored electricity in a battery with a BEV.

It is nevertheless worth noting though that there is still usually to be a high-voltage drive battery involved in most production HFCVs, albeit in a smaller size, to store energy generated from regenerative braking and provide supplemental power to the motor when required.

2. How Does A Hydrogen Fuel Cell Work?

Without going too technical into the chemistry of it, a hydrogen fuel cell essentially initiates a redox chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to generate energy. The full chemical equation of this reaction for the chemistry nerds is as follows: 2H₂ + O₂ ➔ 2H₂O + energy. Hydrogen in a HFCV is obtained from the on-board high pressure storage tank, while oxygen comes from the ambient air.

3. Who Currently Produces Hydrogen Fuel Cell EVs?

Current makers of HFCVs are mainly Asian auto brands, with Toyota leading the way with its Mirai sedan (incidentally the world’s first mass-produced HFCV back in 2014) likely being the most well-known example of production HFCV around.

The other notable players presently in this field meanwhile include Hyundai and Honda. Hyundai currently produces the Nexo HFCV e-SUV and has dabbled in hydrogen fuel cells for heavy haulage with its XCIENT line of lorries while Honda has just recently launched its CR-V e:FCEV hydrogen fuel cell PHEV in North America.

Many automakers have in any case dabbled with HFCV development in the recent past, with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and General Motors having previously revealed working prototypes.