Several significant car manufacturers are developing ambitious projects based on hydrogen as an engine fuel.
Inputs that matter: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the transportation sector is the most significant contributor to carbon emissions in the United States. However, Electric Vehicle (EV) sales have stalled.
- Compared to conventional gasoline or diesel vehicles, hydrogen cars offer a cleaner and more efficient drive, reduced emissions of polluting gases, and a longer range.
- In addition, hydrogen is an attractive option for large manufacturing industries, as it offers opportunities for innovation and expansion in a growing market.
The opportunity: Last week, the EPA finalized stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) standards for medium and heavy-duty trucks from model years 2027 to 2032.
- The State of California has spent $257 million on a network of hydrogen fueling stations.
- Former climate regulator Mary Nichols explains, "Right now, I don't think it would be a good bet to assume that there's going to be a big shift to hydrogen vehicles except for heavy-duty trucks, where being able to move a lot of weight is important."
- Currently, nearly 13,000 electric medium and heavy-duty trucks are on the road.
Zoom in: Fuel cells work by converting compressed hydrogen gas in an onboard tank into electricity that powers the vehicle's motor.
- Toyota and Hyundai are pushing fuel cell models, and Honda has just announced a hydrogen hybrid version of its best-selling CR-V.
- "It's clear what technology has won in the marketplace," says David Reichmuth, a senior engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists' clean transportation program.
Between the lines: Exodus Propulsion Technologies announced this week a significant breakthrough in propulsion technology, creating a new type of engine.
- Dr. Charles Buhler, a NASA engineer and the co-founder of Exodus Propulsion Technologies, has revealed that his company's propellantless propulsion drive, which appears to defy the known laws of physics, has produced enough thrust to counteract Earth's gravity.
- Buhler told The Debrief. "This discovery of a new force is fundamental in that electric fields alone can generate a sustainable force onto an object and allow center-of-mass translation of said object without expelling mass."
- "There are rules that include energy conservation, but if done correctly, one can generate forces unlike anything humankind has done before."
- "We will use this force to propel objects for the next 1,000 years… until the next thing comes."
Follow the money: As AI's incredible hunger for electricity increases, Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, has invested $375 million in Helion Energy, a fusion energy company.
- According to The Independent, "Last year, the company became the first in the world to secure a purchase agreement for nuclear fusion energy after Microsoft made it part of their plan to transition to clean energy sources by the end of the decade."
- "This first fusion power plant, for which the feasibility is being assessed in Chelan (County), will produce electricity that will go to the grid; Constellation will serve as the Power Marketer for Helion's first customer, Microsoft," explains Jessie Barton, Helion communications director.
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Read More
- https://www.ecoticias.com/en/hydrogen-engine-united-states/1088/
- https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2024/04/06/energy/hydrogen-vehicle-hurdles/
- https://thedebrief.org/nasa-veterans-propellantless-propulsion-drive-that-physics-says-shouldnt-work-just-produced-enough-thrust-to-defeat-earths-gravity/
- https://banananomics.co/a_closer_look_at_ev_demand
- https://banananomics.co/epas_new_deal_for_semi_trucks
- https://banananomics.co/nuclear_fusion_and_the_ai%20_energy_crunch
- https://banananomics.co/the_water_copper_and_electricity_surge_from_ai