When talking about eco-friendly cars, we always think about electric vehicles (EV), but Honda and General Motors are redefining the concept, they have another plan for the future. Both companies have joined forces to develop a new hydrogen engine that promises to be the new revolution in the automotive industry. Do you know what the best part is? Zero emissions and fast charging, the expectations of everyone that buys an electric car for the first time.
This could be the highest point in mobility, offering a new alternative to electric –and battery— cars and reducing the petrol’s dependence! But what are the challenges that hydrogen face? Is it the real future? Let’s see.
Why is this hydrogen engine so important?
First of all, it does not work with gasoil, instead of burning fuel, it transforms the hydrogen into electricity through a chemical reaction. The result? Easy: water vapor. No CO2 or polluting particles, just water. In other words, you can forget black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. This is the future, isn’t it incredible?
Furthermore, Honda and General Motors have designed a new compact system where engines can be adapted in different ways, which means it can be integrated into many cars without taking up too much space from the hood
What about recharging and autonomy?
As you can see in other brands, this is the thing that most concerns to drivers who are disposed to buy an electric vehicle, and that is due to the autonomy of a car is an indispensable part of one of them. Buying a car that lasts many hours charging can be a huge mistake. But this is not the case of hydrogen’s cars. Why? Because the process is very similar to refuel a gasoil car, and it only lasts a few minutes. This system let drivers travel longer distances without recharging constantly.
Can hydrogen replace gasoil?
This sounds complicated but, this new engine promises everything and sounds promising. Even though, there are many challenges that need to be resolved before we see it in all vehicles.
First, hydrogen car productions are still so expensive, and it is not available for all, even Honda and General Motors are working for making them more accessible, these cars are still more expensive than traditional engines.
Japan and Europe Union, and also United States have launched programs to promote this new technology. With increasingly strict environmental regulations, automakers need clean options to comply with standards.
But there is still a huge question around these kinds of vehicles: since another of the problems they face is the difficulty of moving hydrogen from one station to another.
Honda and GM’s new hydrogen engine represents a major step towards cleaner and more efficient mobility. Zero emissions, fast charging and greater autonomy make it a strong contender in the race for the car of the future.
But it’s not all that simple. Without a well-developed network of hydrogen stations and a reduction in production costs, mass adoption is still a long way off.
For now, Honda has shown that hydrogen is a real and viable option. The big question is: will it replace gasoline or will it remain a niche alternative? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the automotive industry is changing, and fast. Future is here!!