Hydrogen vehicles will be the only way to reach zero-emission

Tesla and Volkswagen, who have reservations about hydrogen vehicles, have repeatedly expressed negative opinions on the grounds that hydrogen energy is inefficient. However, this view lacks full persuasiveness and objectivity. Volkswagen, which has a lagging market share in lithium vehicles, urgently needs to focus on research and development on them. Tesla has relied entirely on the image of lithium vehicles, and is facing the pressure of traditional car manufacturers to challenge its leadership. Naturally, it is reluctant to let hydrogen vehicles dilute its bright image of lithium vehicles. However, these two car manufacturers bluntly talk about the shortcomings of hydrogen energy vehicles, but avoid the many problems of lithium vehicles.

The Benchmark Mineral Intelligence report noted that current spot prices for lithium could add as much as $1,000 to the cost of new cars, and if battery makers can’t get enough lithium, it will stifle the expansion of lithium vehicles, making it harder to meet global emissions targets. More than half of the world's lithium resources are located in the Lithium Triangle between Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, where lithium-laden brines are pumped from underground lakes to evaporate for 12-28 months to produce processed slurries that are harmful to the environment and conservation with a huge impact. The newly installed Chilean government has decided to adopt stricter environmental policies. Bloomberg estimates that by 2030, the global demand for lithium ore will grow five times, but environmental awareness directly impacts the price of lithium, which is extremely unfavorable for the development of lithium vehicles. Although hydrogen vehicles also use lithium batteries, they are only used for buffering, and the required capacity is much smaller than that of lithium vehicles. The lithium battery capacity used in the Toyota hydrogen car Mirai is only 1.24kWh; but the Tesla Model 3 has a capacity of 54kWh.

Discussions by energy experts invited by CNBC positioned hydrogen as a game-changing technology that could underpin nuclear, natural gas and renewables, among others, while talking to a variety of other energy sources. In short, achieving zero emissions cannot be achieved by relying solely on renewable energy sources. Alternatives can play the role of natural gas today, especially managing seasonality and intermittency, a role that hydrogen can play.


References
 

• Electrek, 2020-04-22, Bradley Berman, Daimler ends hydrogen car development because it’s too costly

• Financial Times, 2020-05-10, Richard Milne, Volvo and Daimler bet on hydrogen truck boom this decade

• Green Car Congress, 2022-05-20, Renault Scénic Vision hydrogen hybrid concept offers 75% smaller carbon footprint than a conventional BEV

• Electrek, 2022-01-20, Scooter Doll, Honda CEO says Toyota’s strategy topursue hydrogen combustion ‘doesn’t seem feasible’
• CNBC,2021-06-21, Michael Wayland, GM plans to expand fuel-cell businessbeyond EVs

• General Motors, News Room, GM Plans to Broaden Electrification, Expanding Fuel Cells Beyond Vehicles

• Reuters, 2021-09-22, Nick Garey, German auto giants place their bets on hydrogen car

• CNBC,2022-05-22, Anmar Frangoul, The most dumb thing’: Elon Musk dismisses hydrogen as tool for energy storage
• Bloomberg, 2022-05-26, Annie Lee, The Trouble With Lithium 
• Gear Patrol, 2022-03-15, Tyler Duffy, Ford May Be Planning to Keep the Internal Combustion Mustang Alive