Fuel cells. Elon Musk calls them “fool cells,” largely because there are so many energy conversions involved in making hydrogen and then converting it into electricity that the overall efficiency of the process is much lower than if the same time and effort were used to make battery-electric vehicles instead. Not only that, fuel cells can’t give a vehicle that same kick off the line when the light turns green that a BEV does.
Let’s face it. We can talk about true cost of ownership and reduced maintenance, but it is still that invisible hand pushing you back in your seat when you mash the exhilarator that makes people giggle when they first experience an electric car. Fuel cell powered vehicles still need a battery to provide that instantaneous burst of power we all crave, so if we are going to have a battery anyway, why not just make it big enough to do the job and forget…
Could Iron-Based Catalysts Make Fuel Cells Viable?
