Hydrogen Vehicles Were the Key to the Future. For Some House owners, That Future Hasn’t Arrived But

“We have an enormous, stunning, purple paperweight in our driveway,” Snell says.

Snell is only one of many California hydrogen fuel-cell automobile homeowners going through difficulties as a confluence of unlucky occasions—tech limitations, rising station working prices, coverage adjustments, even the Russian invasion of Ukraine—have hiked hydrogen gasoline costs and brought hydrogen fueling stations offline.

Just below 12,000 fuel-cell electrical autos, powered by hydrogen as an alternative of gasoline or pure electrical energy, have been on the street in California in 2022, the place the overwhelming majority of the nation’s FCEV drivers reside. (Only one different state, Hawaii, even has a publicly obtainable hydrogen gasoline station.) American drivers purchased nearly 3,000 of the automobiles final 12 months, in response to an business group.

FCEV drivers who spoke to WIRED report that they love their automobiles, which provide easy, snug rides and tech options, and have been bought, new or used, at decrease costs than aggressive autos. All three automakers (Toyota, Hyundai, and Honda) promoting the autos in California supply $15,000 gasoline playing cards with every buy as an added bonus. Some drivers instructed WIRED that their FCEVs match neatly into their lives, as a result of they reside close to constant fueling stations, can rely upon one other automobile when costs get too costly, or don’t drive a lot in any respect. But others say they can not hold the automobiles transferring.

“We are affected by untimely deployment,” says Robin Gaster, a public coverage researcher and senior fellow on the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation who not too long ago revealed a report on clear hydrogen coverage. Policymakers and automobile corporations, he argues, have been too early to launch unproven hydrogen fueling expertise.

Sacramento resident Scott Werntz and his spouse Lori purchased a Toyota Mirai within the fall of 2022. A reduction and included fueling card made the automobile really feel like an ideal deal. But final 12 months the couple started to have to attend in line, typically for greater than hour, to refuel their automobile. Once, they needed to have their car towed after an area fuel-cell station went down whereas they have been ready to high up. Now, they are saying, they depend on one other automobile and a free of charge rental from Toyota to get round.

Toyota spokesperson Josh Burns mentioned the corporate is conscious of refueling points within the state. “We stay dedicated to working with stakeholders to assist California’s hydrogen refueling infrastructure now and into the longer term,” he wrote in an e mail. He mentioned the corporate is working with Mirai homeowners to assist them on a case-by-case foundation.

A Hyundai spokesperson referred WIRED to Bill Elrick, the manager director of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership, who wrote that the Shell Hydrogen shutdown will “trigger momentary challenges,” however that new autos, funding, and infrastructure made the group optimistic. Carl Pulley, a Honda spokesperson, mentioned that the corporate has made investments in hydrogen fueling infrastructure in California and highlighted the CRV e:FCEV, a brand new fuel-cell car set to debut this 12 months.

Shell Hydrogen spokesperson Anna Arata wrote in an announcement that the corporate goals to “be extra disciplined in our supply,” and intends to speculate $1 billion in hydrogen and carbon-capture storage expertise each this 12 months and subsequent.