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Switchover to Fuel Cell Vehicles Will Cut Emissions, Cost Billions
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Fuel cell technologies have the potential to greatly curtail the U.S.'s oil use and carbon dioxide emissions, but extensive public and private investment are necessary to make a significant impact in the coming decades, according to the National Research Council.
The group researched and developed a best case scenario for fuel cell development and deployment in the U.S., publishing it's findings the report "Transitions to Alternative Transportation Technologies: A Focus on Hydrogen." The main barriers to widespread use of fuel cell vehicles, the report concludes, are vehicle price and lack of production and distribution infrastructure.
Even with increased funding and research, the cost of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles won't be competitive with fossil fuel-burning vehicles until 2023. The Council says fuel cell vehicle production could start ramping up in 2015, with about 2 million vehicles maximum on the roads by 2020.
Once the cost barrier comes down, there could be 60 million fuel cell vehicles zipping around by 2035 and 200 million by 2050. The Council takes into account the cost of hydrogen fuel over a vehicle's lifetime in comparing its cost to conventional vehicles.
That best case scenario can only be met with vigorous investment and action. The Council says the government will need to put up $55 billion in funding from 2008-2023, and private industry will need to pump $145 billion into fuel cells during the same period.
Currently, the federal government is running the $1.2 billion Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, which was announced at the 2003 State of the Union Address. On the West Coast, the California Fuel Cell Partnership is working to spread the use of fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fueling stations.
Although hydrogen-powered vehicles have the potential to bring down carbon dioxide emission drastically in the long run, investments in fuel efficiency and biofuels can help reduce emissions quicker, and the Council encourages that all three technologies be pursued at the same time.
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This will increase natural gas prices and push for use of coal!
I think that this may not be the best solution unless we find the way to get hydrogen from water. If you use natural gas to get hydrogen...you will raise demand and prices for natural gas and with that effectively eliminate generating electricity with natural gas. This will push for more use of coal and what did we accomplish again??? I think that the best option at the moment is Electric cars that will be powered by electricity produced by nuclear power plants. Yes they produce nuclear waste but it is something that is manageable by humans. If we look at how technology changes and it is making progress every day...in fifty or hundreds years dealing with nuclear waste will be something that any country will be able to handle effectively. Worst case scenario we blast it into the space! There is no easy solution to this problem but I think electric cars is way to go!
Remember our last oil crisis
America needs to stay FOCUSED, AWARE and EDUCATED.
Focus: History reminds us that every time oil prices peak and the North American market/consumers start to discuss alternative energy sources, the oil exporting countries start to trim down their prices. History also tells us that the oil exporting nations have been very successful in the past and in fact, we have lost our enthusiasm and dropped many of our alternative energy initiatives after oil prices are reduced.
WE need to stay focused this time.
1) Al Gore and his energy initiative is on course.
2) T. Boone Pickens and his wind power initiative is on course.
3) The BG Automotive Group mass production electric vehicle program is on
course along with renewable solar energy charging option.
4) Richard Branson from the UK is on course w/his environmental programs..
5) The Gas Reduction Act of 2008 might not be the most environmentally sound
solution, but yet it shows that Congress has finally realized that we have an
energy crisis (again), and a real threat to our national security.
The continued dependence on foreign oil is a threat to our long term democratic values. We must become an energy independent nation, and with this, some sacrifices will have to be made by the American consumer.
Be aware!!
We are exporting approximately USD $700 Billion dollars per year of U.S. currency. The majority of this money is being transferred to the Trillion dollar “sovereign wealth funds”. This is USD $700 Billion not being spent on America’s educational system, health care and security.
The “sovereign wealth funds” are directly buying major interests (large blocks of stock) in U.S. companies, including most of the major banks. Also, billions of dollars of “sovereign wealth fund” money is being invested in our hedge funds, private equity firms, and the investment banking industry. A few of these firms are directly and indirectly investing large sums of money into our “gas combustion” automobile industry. Do we want our auto industry in the direct or indirect control of the firms that are supplying us oil? This is an interesting topic for an investigative reporter.
There are automotive consulting companies in Michigan (heart of our auto industry), lobbying States and our Federal Government, NOT to subsidize the Electric Vehicle industry. The latter seems to be contradictory to what the American public would like to see from our automobile industry. After the billions (excess of $20 billion) the automotive companies have lost in the past 6 months producing gas combustion vehicles, you would think they too would change course. Changing course is not adding 2-4 miles per gallon w/Hybrids. Drastic measures in our auto industry must take place and NOW!
Do not let the temporary reduction in oil prices push us off course….AGAIN.
Educated: Read, Read- Stay on top of the issues. Let’s not be fooled again.
STAY FOCUSED, AWARE and EDUCATED!
"Switchover to fuel cell vehicles will cost millions"
I cant believe I am reading this rhetoric from this web-sight of all places. The costs of fossil fuel burning vehicles go far beyond the up front cost of fuel. Fossil fuel cost should always include healthcare costs, environmental costs-global warming etc, what are you guys thinking??? Not to mention there are plenty of ways that the costs are offset by increased investment opportunities and new technologies that are born out of the investments in hydrogen. Who are you working for??
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