Fossil fuels burned in cars is one of the worst ways to get energy from them though... its just that its the most convent. Two main reasons: maintenance and driveablity.Narupug wrote:
When we use the most common way of making hydrogen, from fossil fuels, it's impact on our dependence on oil and greenhouse gases is the same as using gasoline for cars. Now you can also get electricity from solar panels and use that to perform electrolysis on water to get the hydrogen, this method is much cleaner and eco friendly.
A lot can be done to clean up the emissions from burning fossil fuels... But all the controls and gismos in the world won't help if they are not working because the have not been maintained. What percentage of cars on the road have all systems operating flawlessly? I bet less then half. Its much easier for a centralized plant ran by professionals to keep up on maintenance then millions of unmotivated/lazy/cheap people.
Car engines are also less efficient, Not only because they have to lug around the weight of all those emissions controls, but also because they have to function well over a wide range of RPMs. Engines only work well at a certain RPM, compromises in efficiency at a given RPM need to be made in order to gain efficiency and power over the whole functioning range of the engine. In a centralized plant the engines can have their efficiency tuned for one RPM, and that RPM can be maintained to produce an appreciably higher amount of energy then any car engine.
And if the drive train in a hydrogen car can be made lighter then a conventional gasoline drive train the vehicle its self can be more efficient, so that even the energy produce by the gasoline can be use more efficiently.
