Why Hydrogen Cars Flopped

Summary by Krater

This video examines why hydrogen fuel cell cars have struggled to gain traction despite early hype, analysing factors like high vehicle and fuel costs, lack of infrastructure, and poor overall energy efficiency compared to battery electric vehicles.

From the video

Answers: Why did hydrogen cars fail to become popular despite early hype?

• Hydrogen fuel cell cars
• Hydrogen refueling infrastructure
• Energy efficiency of electric vs hydrogen vehicles
• Vehicle pricing and government incentives
• History and future of hydrogen automotive technology

What it concludes

• Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have failed to achieve mainstream popularity due to high vehicle prices, expensive fuel, and lack of refueling infrastructure.
• Hydrogen refueling stations are extremely expensive to build, costing around $2 million compared to $50,000 for an EV charger or $300,000 for a gas station.
• Hydrogen fuel cells have an overall well-to-wheel energy efficiency of only 38%, significantly lower than battery electric vehicles at 80%.
• Lithium-ion battery electric vehicle technology advanced much faster and received significantly more market adoption and investment than hydrogen fuel cells.