Replacing Oil Blog

Honda’s FCX Clarity may be the most promising hydrogen fuel cell vehicle today, but good luck getting one. They’re only leasing 200 this year, and even those will only be offered in Southern California. It appears they’re being very selective about who they allow to pay $600 a month for the cars, instead of a first come first serve system.

It’s not easy to lease a new FCX Clarity

I just saw that the 2nd of only 200 people to receive the world’s first automobile engineered specifically for hydrogen fuel cell power will be Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband. She hasn’t starred in anything I’ve enjoyed since she did a very memorable strip tease in that movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Does anybody remember what it was called?

I’ll dance in my underwear for a FCX Clarity!

Is that what it takes to be allowed the opportunity to pay $600 a month to lease this car? A strip tease for a future governor? If so, most of us stand little chance of ever driving one. At least now I understand why they’re only leasing them in Southern California.

Hydrogen Filling Stations Please!

Unless you live in Washington DC, New York State, or Southern California you’ll probably only be able to see the FCX Clarity on youtube. Hydrogen is getting cheaper and the amount of filling stations and infrastructure will expand, but when? I want one now!

Hydrogen, How Low Can You Go?

Two weeks ago a Penn State research team supported by a DOE grant found a way to produce hydrogen directly from solar energy using nanotubes in a photoelectrochemical diode. This means that the energy from the sun is directly stored in the form of hydrogen. Depending on the cost of the arrays, once they’re being manufactured, this could mean some super cheap hydrogen.

Just over a week ago Global Hydrogen Inc. reported that they could produce hydrogen for $2.47 per kg. using higher efficiency electrolysis generators. Surprising enough the industry average for hydrogen production is about $3.57/kg. To put that in perspective the Honda’s new FCX Clarity runs between 60-70 miles on a kg of hydrogen. So now, instead of paying $10 to drive 200 miles, you can go 300. Cheap!

An MIT researcher did something, everybody pay attention!

I’m very shocked by the lack of attention heaped on the Penn State research team and Global Hydrogen, it seems their developments went largely unnoticed. I guess they should of included a photo of themselves looking intelligent, yet rugged, like MIT researcher Daniel C. Nocera.

It’s not that his findings aren’t significant, they certainly are. Platinum costs around $2000 an ounce and is the main expense in both electrolysis equipment (makes H2O just H and O) and hydrogen fuel cells (generates electricity by letting H and O come back together). Basically the MIT team found a way to do it with cobalt and phosphate which are, compared to platinum, practically free.

Where do I fill up the FCX Clarity that I can’t purchase?

Unless you live in California, Washington D.C. or New York State you have to enviously watch other prople fill up their fuel cell vehicles, but not the FCX Clarity they’re still testing the first 100 production models in Southern California.

While watching remember that it only costs $10 to fill it up and then quickly compose a scathing letter to your state legislators demanding hydrogen filling stations!