In his recent statement, Elon Musk termed hydrogen fuel cells “the most idiotic thing he could think for energy storage.”
During a conversation with journalists at the Automotive News World Congress a few years back, the billionaire and pioneer of electric vehicles also referred to hydrogen fuel cells as “very dumb.” He claims that because the best-case hydrogen fuel cell is not superior to the current-case batteries, it is illogical.
Most individuals likely haven’t heard of the technology. And if they did, they would probably have compared it to the Hindenburg, the legendary hydrogen-filled airship which burst into flames and exploded about 85 years ago.
However, hydrogen fuel-cell technology has advanced significantly in terms of security and effectiveness, and it might help hasten the move away from fossil fuels, according to specialists in the field.
The basic principle of the technique is to obtain hydrogen from water or carbon-based fuels, reverse the process, and then combine hydrogen and oxygen atoms in an electrochemical cell to generate electricity, water vapor, as well as some heat. The efficiency of fuel-cell technology is 2-3 times that of an internal combustion engine. It also can fuel medium and heavy-duty trucks, buses, trains, small flights, and oceangoing boats, as well as produce power backup for institutions and data centers, and requires significantly smaller batteries than electric cars do.
