Hydrogen advances: which cars use it and how does it work?

There is much talk about the advance of hydrogen as an alternative to generate energy in a car. While the industry seeks to leave behind traditional combustion for environmental reasons, options are beginning to appear to power vehicle engines, give them autonomy and not depend on the exploitation of hydrocarbons.

It is NASA's preferred fuel and promises to revolutionize the way we moveNow

, although the debate is settled and there are arguments on both sides, the reality is that more and more automakers are venturing into electric or hydrogen alternatives for their cars in order to test which is the best and most efficient to apply to the mass production of their units.

in terms

of electric mobility, there are many examples. Not only are there hybrid, plug-in hybrid and 100% electric options in international markets, but also brand announcements -such as the case of Volkswagen just a few days ago- accompany the trend to adopt this technology.

In the meantime

, another alternative is emerging that covers few models but is seeking to position itself: hydrogen.



Hydrogen refueling stations are also scarce, making mass production of these cars more difficult

. The difference is that the batteries are charged by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and air, and the waste that comes out of the exhaust pipe is water vapor. The problem is that this technology is expensive in terms of infrastructure and acquisition, which means that only a few models are manufactured and cannot be sold massively,

however, there are cars sold in the world with this type of energy supply. For example, in Spain you can get the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai Nexo while in other European countries is added to this list the Honda Clarity.

Toyota MiraiPerhaps

the greatest exponent in the use of hydrogen as power. It costs about 68,900 euros in its base version (Vision) and reaches 75,900 for the top of the range (Luxury). As explained by the portal El País, it has a capacity of up to 5.6 kilos of hydrogen distributed in three tanks and reaches a power of 182CV.



The new Toyota MiraiIn terms

of autonomy, it achieves 700 kilometers with a single charge and can reach a maximum speed of 175km/h. Some time ago, LA NACION had the opportunity to try a previous version of the Mirai for a test drive.

Hyundai NexoThis

is the first SUV that is powered by hydrogen and, due to its characteristics, it is more expensive than the aforementioned. In Spain, for example, it can be obtained from 73,450 euros.

lower power (163hp), also with three tanks of hydrogen and just a little faster than the Toyota as it achieves 179km / h top speed against 175km / h of the previous one. In terms of autonomy, drivers claim it reaches 670 kilometers on a single charge.

Honda ClarityThis

one sells fewer units compared to its predecessors in this list. The objective of the brand was to introduce it in a limited way to the market for the promotion of hydrogen refueling infrastructures, but it achieved a performance in accordance with what was being massively worked.

the

autonomy is much lower: it reaches 589 kilometers and in terms of top speed does not exceed 165 km/h

. In terms

of acceleration, it has the same performance as all the above mentioned and accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in nine seconds.

BMW iX5, but in testing phaseFew

or many units, hydrogen cars on the list can be obtained if you search the market. Not so with BMW's model. This vehicle does not require lithium, cobalt, nickel or any of the other elements it seeks to limit as it aims to reduce its carbon footprint throughout its life.

In terms

of performance, it offers up to 500 kilometers of range and has two hydrogen storage tanks. With all the elements together, it can be confirmed that the iX5 achieves 401 hp of power.

for the moment

, there are only 100 units that were distributed around the world to test drive and were built in a pilot plant of the group. The project is headed by the Research and Innovation Center (FIZ) in Munich, Germany and there is no confirmed date for its launch. An approximate price was also not disclosed.