Why EVs over Hydrogen Fuel Cells?
It is interesting that the clean energy choice in North America, and much of the world for that matter is electric vehicles. And the question is why?
I think the answer comes down to 2 things; Telsa, and the charging experience.
Tesla's ambition was INSANE. I'll admit, when they first started I thought that they were doomed. I didn't believe it was possible to deliver on such a complete network in enough time to maintain or keep adoption. And that was an even part of the problem then actually building the cars; making people confident enough to buy them.
The rest of the industry can't even really be said to be playing catch-up. There is no simply no comparison. Tesla's chargers boast great volume and much better distribution. On top of which, Tesla's can charge off the those chargers other are using. While the inverse isn't the case.
If you want an all electric vehicle, it is still a little silly to go any other route than a Tesla. Not to say that people don't go other routes. But, I think a lot of people get burned still.
And while dealers haven't really bought into EV on a wide scale, where they are being stocked, they are selling out. And that is all owed to the work Tesla did to pave the way.
Hydrogen by contrast? In Canada, I think we still have something like just 1 or 2 public chargers in BC. And that is it. Refuelling costs something like 2-3 more mile travelled and yeah... basically, you can't find a public station. It is also not something easily installed at home.
And that brings us to the second point; charging experience. When I bought my PHEV it came with a charge cable. It looks like a little gas pump. It is more or less as intuitive as a gas pump. The electricity costs me far less than gasoline per mile. And best of all, I can charge it at home.
All of those points are crucial to EV success. While I charge my car from the grid and can't guarantee the energy is "clean", I can rather safely say it is "cleaner". And that is an important first step to getting to a clean automotive experience.
Next is the appearance combined with the location. It was sheer brilliance to make the ports and the charger LOOK like traditional fuelling options. And a solution which makes it possible for many to charge at home creates a cycle which is hard to break.
It's been almost a month since it visited a gas station. It'll be almost another month still before I go to one. And I won't be going because the car is empty. Simply because I'm making a long road trip and I want to be topped up before I head out. If I weren't taking the road trip, the car would probably last me 3-4 more months. If not more.
My car has a gas engine as it is PHEV. And yet, I can drive around for 3-6 months worth of daily driving without doing anything but plugging it into an outlet I own, at my leisure, in the comfort of my home.
With FCVs that isn't an option at present. Sure, some people could afford the infrastructure. But I didn't need to afford anything. The cable came with the car. The outlet came with the house. Not everyone has access to a home or an outlet. But, I promise, once you've been there, it will be hard, if not impossible to go back.
And let's be clear, having control over my fuelling infrastructure, at least in part, is something so amazing and revolutionary, that I would likely continue with it, even if the cost crept up to parity with gas, or gas came down to match it.
If natural gas consumer vehicles had become a thing, and it was common to install a port off the main gas lines that houses use for things like heating and BBQs and fireplaces to be able to also hook up a car, then I don't think EVs or FCVs would have ever had a chance.
That is the real revolution here. Even more than the environmental aspect. That may have been a huge part of why I started. But, the convenience is why it will be damned near impossible to quit it.
The vehicles exist now, the infrastructure is just a power outlet, and the chargers are fairly ubiquitous as well. It will be hard, if not impossible to displace EVs any time soon. As they become increasingly affordable, I think the wave of people transitioning will speed up.
No one is running pipelines for 87 Octane to houses. Natural gas missed it's chance as it would require household renovations to support. Hydrogen may displace gasoline at some point, but it won't displace EVs any time soon.
I think the answer comes down to 2 things; Telsa, and the charging experience.
Tesla's ambition was INSANE. I'll admit, when they first started I thought that they were doomed. I didn't believe it was possible to deliver on such a complete network in enough time to maintain or keep adoption. And that was an even part of the problem then actually building the cars; making people confident enough to buy them.
The rest of the industry can't even really be said to be playing catch-up. There is no simply no comparison. Tesla's chargers boast great volume and much better distribution. On top of which, Tesla's can charge off the those chargers other are using. While the inverse isn't the case.
If you want an all electric vehicle, it is still a little silly to go any other route than a Tesla. Not to say that people don't go other routes. But, I think a lot of people get burned still.
And while dealers haven't really bought into EV on a wide scale, where they are being stocked, they are selling out. And that is all owed to the work Tesla did to pave the way.
Hydrogen by contrast? In Canada, I think we still have something like just 1 or 2 public chargers in BC. And that is it. Refuelling costs something like 2-3 more mile travelled and yeah... basically, you can't find a public station. It is also not something easily installed at home.
And that brings us to the second point; charging experience. When I bought my PHEV it came with a charge cable. It looks like a little gas pump. It is more or less as intuitive as a gas pump. The electricity costs me far less than gasoline per mile. And best of all, I can charge it at home.
All of those points are crucial to EV success. While I charge my car from the grid and can't guarantee the energy is "clean", I can rather safely say it is "cleaner". And that is an important first step to getting to a clean automotive experience.
Next is the appearance combined with the location. It was sheer brilliance to make the ports and the charger LOOK like traditional fuelling options. And a solution which makes it possible for many to charge at home creates a cycle which is hard to break.
It's been almost a month since it visited a gas station. It'll be almost another month still before I go to one. And I won't be going because the car is empty. Simply because I'm making a long road trip and I want to be topped up before I head out. If I weren't taking the road trip, the car would probably last me 3-4 more months. If not more.
My car has a gas engine as it is PHEV. And yet, I can drive around for 3-6 months worth of daily driving without doing anything but plugging it into an outlet I own, at my leisure, in the comfort of my home.
With FCVs that isn't an option at present. Sure, some people could afford the infrastructure. But I didn't need to afford anything. The cable came with the car. The outlet came with the house. Not everyone has access to a home or an outlet. But, I promise, once you've been there, it will be hard, if not impossible to go back.
And let's be clear, having control over my fuelling infrastructure, at least in part, is something so amazing and revolutionary, that I would likely continue with it, even if the cost crept up to parity with gas, or gas came down to match it.
If natural gas consumer vehicles had become a thing, and it was common to install a port off the main gas lines that houses use for things like heating and BBQs and fireplaces to be able to also hook up a car, then I don't think EVs or FCVs would have ever had a chance.
That is the real revolution here. Even more than the environmental aspect. That may have been a huge part of why I started. But, the convenience is why it will be damned near impossible to quit it.
The vehicles exist now, the infrastructure is just a power outlet, and the chargers are fairly ubiquitous as well. It will be hard, if not impossible to displace EVs any time soon. As they become increasingly affordable, I think the wave of people transitioning will speed up.
No one is running pipelines for 87 Octane to houses. Natural gas missed it's chance as it would require household renovations to support. Hydrogen may displace gasoline at some point, but it won't displace EVs any time soon.
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