Honda, Toyota Will Launch Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles By 2015 (But They Won't Be Cheap)

the car connection

excerpts:

• Honda and Toyota both plan to roll out hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and the cars are on-target to hit showrooms next year
• Nikkei reports that Honda and Toyota each expect to build 1,000 fuel cell vehicles in 2015 and slowly ramp up production, reaching the "tens of thousands" in the early 2020s
• prices should drop to the level of heavier elements within a few years, hopefully hitting the 3 million yen mark ($29,300) by the 2020s
• if grid-powered electric vehicles take off first -- as they probably will (comment: ???) -- the transition to hydrogen could be a very tough sell
• a question that also depends on numerous factors, including charging infrastructure, pricing, and battery capacity

Evidently, the author buys into Elon Musk's proposition of a battery electric car.  I am not impressed with Tesla.

The hydrogen fuel cell infrastructure problem is greatly overblown.  As I've mentioned before, you can transport the hydrogen carrier to the fueling locations using current technologies and infrastructure.  From that point, you can split the hydrogen from the hydrogen carrier substance ( such as ammonia, methane, etc. )

The cost to split the hydrogen at the retail location shouldn't be too high.  It could be relatively portable too, as there are small devices that can do the job.  Steam reformers could do it, but there may be better ways.