Could Hydrogen Replace Petrol?

Abundant, clean, but as of yet, unexploited. Hydrogen is the lightest element on the periodic table and the most plentiful substance in the universe. It’s also the third most copious element on the Earth’s surface. Can it power cars? Technically, yes. Although it hasn’t taken off yet, some seem to think Hydrogen has the potential to replace petrol, referring to it as “motoring’s holy grail”.

Auto innovation

The man behind these claims is Mitsuru Kariya, Honda’s development leader for their Civic model. He’s echoing Honda’s overarching target to introduce alternatively powered cars to the mainstream car market. But at the moment electric cars are the more popular concept. “At Honda we see electrification as one of the key aspects for the future of motoring. The conventional power plant, whether it's a petrol or diesel engine it will probably disappear in that classic function."

Catch-up

Surprisingly, Honda haven’t released a hybrid or fully electrically powered car themselves yet. Their first hybrid will be released in 2017, with an electric vehicle (EV) also in the pipeline. So where does hydrogen come into the picture? It’s actually been on Honda’s agenda for a while, and is possibly the reason they’ve been so late to the EV and hybrid party.

Honda began production of their Clarity model in 2008. It was the first widely available hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. But it didn’t catch on. Six years on, and there were still only 46 leased in the US. Consequently, Honda began phasing out the vehicle. The problem was – and still is – with infrastructure. Nobody will buy a hydrogen powered car if there are no hydrogen filling stations.

Filling the gap

According to Kariya, though, electric cars are something of a trend. “Electrification is currently the most popular and best solution but it's also short-term. Honda still believes hydrogen and the fuel cell technology will be the ultimate propulsion for the long-term future, but electric is very important to fill that gap until that time for the mass market."

The benefits of an alternative

It’s not just contribution to climate change that can make petrol damaging. There’s even a potential danger to those exposed to it. Petrol contains benzene, which has been linked to bone marrow damage and consequently myeloid leukaemia. Constant spillages or handling of petrol can lead to benzene exposure, so it’s important to have facilities in place to detect and measure benzene levels. ‘Benzene – Measurement of ppb levels accurately in real time’ looks at a potential solution which is smaller and lower in cost than the alternatives.