ir landmark Model S, they have created a fully electric, practical vehicle. They have come from nowhere and built their own lithium ion batteries. It has changed the landscape. They have a long way to go, but they are paving the way for fully electric vehicles. Many other companies are now catching up. A fully electric vehicle will rely solely on the electric motor and its battery. It will be recharged at charging stations and plugged in at home. They also make use of regenerative energy. This means they generate and store electricity when braking.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell cars
Alongside all the talk of electric and hybrid cars, there is another technology on the horizon. In 2015, it will take its tentative first steps on the market. We are, of course, talking about hydrogen fuel cell technology. It has a volatile reputation behind it. Many commentators believe it truly is the future of driving. Others think it’s an unsustainable and useless technology. Again, Toyota are at the helm of this revolution. This year they will launch the first commercially available hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. It’s called the Mirai. It will be one of the most technologically advanced cars in the world.
Like the fully electric cars, these vehicles have nothing but an electric engine. However, hydrogen fuel cells are slightly different. To power it, you’ll fill the tank up with hydrogen (the most abundant element on the planet). A reaction will take place to split the hydrogen atom and generate electricity. This will then be fed to the motor, the waste emission is simply water. It’s clean and powerful technology. The only drawback here is the lack of infrastructure. In order to work on a large scale, we need a big investment in hydrogen stations. We also need to invest in the technology to harvest hydrogen from the air. Unfortunately, this is not a simple process. It requires passing electricity through water to extract hydrogen.
Which is the best?
Well, the jury is still out on which technology is the best. They are all fantastic solutions to a deep and difficult problem. We are making big strides in every aspect. Hybrid technology is now so powerful that we are building hybrid supercars. The fastest road car in the world has a hybrid engine! That’s how far we’ve come in ten years. However, the ultimate goal is to move away from fossil fuels entirely. With that in mind the fully electric cars and hydrogen fuel cells must be the future. As the technology improves, we’ll soon see which reigns supreme.