Bmw

[Madaz]

i wonder how far off we are from a mass produced toyota nissan holden version of this, or if that will ever happen

i really dont know why we cant run our cars on methanol apart from the government finding it hard to stop ppls making vodka baths in the basement to run the kids to school in the daewoo oh and the not tgacing it thing

BMW Hydrogen 7 launched

[ukai]

i wonder how far off we are from a mass produced toyota nissan holden version of this, or if that will ever happen

i really dont know why we cant run our cars on methanol apart from the government finding it hard to stop ppls making vodka baths in the basement to run the kids to school in the daewoo oh and the not tgacing it thing

BMW Hydrogen 7 launched

The technology is fantasic, the production of hydrogen though is very expensive until that problem is solved they are not worth it.

If you havent seen the movie who killed the electric car go see it or i could lend it to ya. Yes it is biased towards electrics but has some info on the hydrogen cars and stuff coming into play in the US.

Also have a look at http://www.teslamotors.com/

They have the backing to do it so it shall be interesting over the next year or two.

[Madaz]

that telsa look good ... but thats the problem with electric no engine sound @ least with hydrogen engine would still make a noise but dont know if you can modify the exhaust

[kralster]

Also you have to burn like a million more litres of hydrogen compared to petrol.

[JCMarshall_Law]

Dosen't it still take more energy and produce more emissions making hydrogen just using petrol?

"hydrogen - the most common element in the universe" yeah, most common but 99.99999999999% of it is contained in stars and gas clouds in space - not that easy to get to. Hydrogen in its elemental form on earth is in very very small proportions, 99.9999% makes up part of the water in our oceans.

Edited November 14, 2006 by JCMarshall_Law

[Mike_]

This is why oil companies and the US government never backed the electric car, but have embraced the hydrogen fuel cell:

They can provide an "environmentally friendly alternative" but still warrant charging and taxing an arm and a leg for fuel.

Edited November 14, 2006 by Mike_

[Bl4cK32]

that telsa look good ... but thats the problem with electric no engine sound @ least with hydrogen engine would still make a noise but dont know if you can modify the exhaust

Id make my own noises...the other 1/2 already says i do

Id like to try one of them tesla cars out...

[djr81]

This is why oil companies and the US government never backed the electric car, but have embraced the hydrogen fuel cell:

They can provide an "environmentally friendly alternative" but still warrant charging and taxing an arm and a leg for fuel.

The fundamental difference between hydrogen powered & electric cars comes into play when you want to refuel. In an electric car the process takes hours, in a hydrogen fuelled car it can be done in a matter of minutes. Which makes it possible to use a hydgrogen powered car in the same manner as a petrol powered car. Something that (conspiracy theorists aside) proponents of electric cars can never claim.

[ukai]

The fundamental difference between hydrogen powered & electric cars comes into play when you want to refuel. In an electric car the process takes hours, in a hydrogen fuelled car it can be done in a matter of minutes. Which makes it possible to use a hydgrogen powered car in the same manner as a petrol powered car. Something that (conspiracy theorists aside) proponents of electric cars can never claim.

Yes they cant claim this, but the distances and charging times would suit a large percentage of the population eg the people that drive to work and back each day. Telsa is 3.5 hours for fullcharge which is about 400kms.

[J_Red33]

Yes the Tesla car looks like it could be a lot of fun, however there is one fundamental problem I have with it that people always seem to forget.....

Yeah for sure the car itself doesn't put out any emissions, but what about it's power source?? Unless you are using a solar or wind generator you are going to be burning fossil fuels every time you have to charge the sucker up. The idea itself is a good one but without green power production it's effectively usless IMO.

Plus who has another car that they use if they all of a sudden have to travel more than 400km the next day that they can otherwise afford to have lying around doing nothing?

This is where the Hydrogen system becomes interesting, as when they can sought out the tank storage system (which no doubt with more reseach they will) & reduce the cost of producing the hydrogen (which with increasing production levels & more efficient systems will happen) it then becomes highly viable.

BMW's spent truckloads of money researching this system almost completely all by themselves & I can't see them doing it all for nothing.

Edited November 18, 2006 by JazzaR33

[ukai]

Yes the Tesla car looks like it could be a lot of fun, however there is one fundamental problem I have with it that people always seem to forget.....

Yeah for sure the car itself doesn't put out any emissions, but what about it's power source?? Unless you are using a solar or wind generator you are going to be burning fossil fuels every time you have to charge the sucker up. The idea itself is a good one but without green power production it's effectively usless IMO.

Plus who has another car that they use if they all of a sudden have to travel more than 400km the next day that they can otherwise afford to have lying around doing nothing?

Yes you have to produce the electricity, but its cheaper/more efficent(lesser amounts of nasties) to produce the power needed in a power station then it is to burn petrol in a car.

Also as i said above currently and until a major breakthough happens its more expensive(eg the electricity needed to make hydroden makes more byproducts) then either of the above.

To the more then 400kms car lying around. Thats what hire cars are for among other things.