Battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining traction in popular culture as the alternative of choice to replace fossil-fuel-powered vehicles. Every major automobile company is moving toward the production of battery-powered vehicles, and consumers are beginning to adapt to this new reality.
While they are certainly an improvement, battery-powered EVs do present challenges. The electricity used to power them can still come from a fossil fuel power plant, which offsets the often-touted reduction in tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions the vehicles offer. In addition, the batteries themselves present the market with the challenging issue of what to do with them after their life cycle is over. Though companies that recycle lithium-ion batteries exist today, that industry is still in its infancy and is not ready to handle an overwhelming influx of batteries as the adoption of battery-powered EVs grows.
Hydrogen has all the advantages of a battery-powered EV, but you can generate electricity from onboard supply which saves on lengthy recharging time. Such cells are safe, reliable, and environmentally friendly, and the infrastructure to support their use can be replicated by converting existing refuelling stations (Figure 1).
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