Which way ahead for hydrogen cars?
Useful sites
California Energy Commission (USA)
Hydrogen – a very special type of gas
A brief overview of the use of hydrogen as a transportation fuel.
Fuel cell vehicles – the ZEVs of the future?
Describes different ways that hydrogen can be supplied to a fuel cell in a vehicle.
Dawn of the hydrogen age (Wired, October 1997, USA)
A readable account of the use of hydrogen as a fuel, concentrating on its use in transportation. The article highlights the importance of using cleaner fuels, but notes the difficulties involved in switching to hydrogen power. Explores some alternatives to an immediate switch to hydrogen as a transportation fuel.
Hydrogen: Fuel of the future (American Society for the Advancement of Science, USA)
Thorsteinn Sigfusson, professor of physics at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik and chairman of Iceland New Energy, says that Iceland is set to become birthplace of the hydrogen economy -- providing electricity, heating its buildings through the long winters, and running its buses, trucks, cars and even trawlers.
Harnessing hydrogen: the key to sustainable transportation (INFORM, USA)
Covers different aspects of the advantages and challenges of hydrogen as a transportation fuel. It also presents the ways that vehicles could use the hydrogen (eg, internal combustion engines, fuel cells and hybrid vehicles).
The hydrogen economy (Physics Today, USA)
Describes the basic research that is required in materials and design to make hydrogen-based energy a viable proposition.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Low-carb cars (In Depth, 8 May 2008)
Describes the status of technology for more energy efficient cars.
It's a bike, Jim, but not as we know it (News in Science, 17 March 2005)
A new 'green' motorcycle has been developed in the UK but it's so quiet the designers may have to install an artificial 'vroom' in it to keep potential customers happy.
The hydrogen economy (Earthbeat, 31 May 2003)
Describes a trial of hydrogen-powered buses in Europe and possible ways to introduce the hydrogen economy in Australia.
Hydrogen power (The Science Show, 20 April 2002)
Discusses the development of a photo reactor that can split water to produce hydrogen.
How a fuel cell works (Union of Concerned Scientists, USA)
A very brief illustrated introduction to a hydrogen car's fuel cell.
How Stuff Works (USA)
Fuel cell cars
Explains how Ford's prototype fuel cell car works.
How the hydrogen economy works
Explains the environmental advantages of using hydrogen instead of fossil fuels.
Fuel cells (Fuel Economy, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency, USA)
Explains the difference between a fuel cell and a battery, and includes an annotated diagram of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell.
Melbourne University's hydrogen car (University of Melbourne, Australia)
Explains the problem of using hydrogen as a fuel in an internal combustion engine (and provides a solution). Includes animated diagrams.
Hydrogen is on the way (RTD Info, European Union)
The concept of the hydrogen economy has become one of the fundamental elements on which the European Union is focusing its sustainable energy policy for the decades to come.
Page updated June 2008.