Zero-emission future

It is well known that petrol and diesel cars are both extremely damaging to the atmosphere. Thankfully, the public eye is directing towards a more sustainable car - electric. Yes, this does provide less emissions into the atmosphere. However, the carbon footprint is huge. The batteries must be mined and then transported thousands of miles before being manufactured into the car. Also, the electric used to power the car may not be sustainably sourced & it is very inefficient which increases costs and energy use.

This is where hydrogen celled cars stand out. The only emissions it releases is water & heat. As compared its internal combustion vehicles, hydrogen vehicles centralise pollutants at the site of the hydrogen production, where hydrogen is typically derived from reformed natural gas. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. It is found everywhere including in renewables such as water, plants and manure. It can be produced sustainably through steam reforming, gasification and electrolysis.

Hydrogen celled vehicles are currently on the market from Toyota (Mirai) at £66,000, Hyundai (NEXO) at £68,856 and Honda (Clarity) which is not available in the UK, but currently sells for $58,490. This is not affordable at all for most people and means that we are deterred to purchase cheaper internal combustion cars. To reduce our emissions into the atmosphere, and to reach the reduction of at least 100% by 2050, this is unacceptable. And the change needs to happen now.

The public should be made more aware of hydrogen cars and their zero-emission feature. Parts for the cars can be sourced from recycled metals which would reduce the cost of energy used to produce new metal. The seats and dashboard materials can be sourced from recycled plastics which will reduce energy costs of producing new plastic.

Ensuring that a hydrogen celled car is affordable for the general public is essential for securing a sustainable and carbon-free future.