Hydrogen
What Is It?
Hydrogen is a naturally occuring element that is a gas at room temperature. It is highly flammable and can be made into a liquid under extreme pressure. Hydrogen has the advantage of emitting only water and air when used as a vehicle fuel, and as such is extremely clean.
How Is It Used?
At the moment, there is no formal infrastructure in the UK for refuelling hydrogen vehicles. However, in London, there are two buses operating on hydrogen fuel, which cost many millions of pounds to manufacture and operate each year. These buses do show, however, what may be possible in the future for mass transit systems.
What's The Catch?
At present, it's very difficult to produce hydrogen cost effectively on a scale that would be necessary for use as a vehicle fuel. Hydrogen is also extremely flammable at room temperature and requires heavy duty, specialist tanks for storage. As such, the storage, manufacture and use of hydrogen remains extremely expensive. Therefore, hydrogen production vehicles remain several decades away.
