Hydrogen Cars: Everything You Need to Know!

Mercedes started producing hydrogen vehicles and quit, while Toyota, currently offering one such model, doesn’t seem to be planning to give up. Are these vehicles the future, or are they just an experiment only a few manufacturers so far tried and some even abandoned? Is development ongoing or on hold? Stay informed with the latest updates on hydrogen car advancements in this blog post.

Hydrogen cars, which some also call fuel cell vehicles, are basically electric cars that generate their own electricity as they drive. In electric cars, energy is stored in the battery, while in hydrogen cars, it is stored in a hydrogen tank as a raw material. When the car is in motion, a fuel cell combines hydrogen from the tank with oxygen from the air. This process releases energy that powers the vehicle. In essence, hydrogen cars convert hydrogen into electrical energy through a chemical reaction with oxygen.
To be precise, hydrogen cars do have a battery, but a small one. It acts as a backup to store extra energy, especially during activities like acceleration and braking. It also captures energy during braking, known as recuperation, and stores it for a short time. 

Hydrogen has a high energy density by weight. This means a lot of energy can be stored in a relatively small amount of fuel. Therefore, it is also suitable for heavy-duty transport that needs long ranges, such as trucks, buses, and trains, where current battery systems might be too heavy or bulky.
Several pilot projects for hydrogen fuel cell electric trains are currently underway worldwide. At the moment, Germany already has hydrogen trains in service. Furthermore, in 2023, Deutsche Bahn ordered 60 hydrogen buses for its DB Regio Bus division.
For smaller types of transport, hydrogen doesn’t seem to be a suitable solution. Hydrogen tanks need to withstand 700 bar of pressure, which makes the technology impractical for small vehicles like e-scooters. This could change in the future, though. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Dresden have developed a hydrogen paste with magnesium. It stores hydrogen at normal pressure, lasts a long time, and has a high energy density.

Since hydrogen vehicles are currently expensive, they should offer some serious advantages for one to even consider buying them. Do they though? And what is the ratio between the pros and cons of hydrogen cars? Find out!

• Short refuelling time

• They have a similar range to electric cars with substantial battery storage

• Drive with zero local emissions

• The technology can potentially be environmentally friendly 

• Hydrogen is great as an energy storage medium. Excess electricity from renewable sources can be stored in it. But… ↓ 

• …it cannot be directly used to fuel cars. Electric vehicles, by contrast, may offer a more practical storage solution with bidirectional charging, allowing energy to be fed back into the grid when needed.

• Low number of refuelling points

• Only a few car models are available on the market

• Expensive

• Most hydrogen for cars is currently produced from fossil fuels, which release CO2

In Q2 2024, the total number of hydrogen cars registered in the EU was 5,045. By comparison, the total number of electric cars at that time was 5,466,484. This results in a ratio of about 1 hydrogen car for every 1,083 electric cars. Opel’s hydrogen chief developer, Dr. Lars Peter Thiesen, emphasises that many still believe hydrogen cars are in a demo phase, but that’s no longer the case. Speaking about Opel, he asserts, “We are serious and now have a mass-market product on the market.”

The development of hydrogen vehicles hasn't gone as far as that of electric vehicles. The more complex production process is one of the main reasons. Those considering a hydrogen-powered car have a choice consisting of several models.

The Hyundai NEXO is the first mass-produced hydrogen car. It offers an impressive range of up to 540 km. When it comes to pricing, the company does not reveal the numbers. In 2018, the hydrogen vehicle was available starting from € 77.490. At the moment, you can receive a personal leasing offer on request. 

The second hydrogen car option you have is the Toyota Mirai. Its price starts from €65.990. According to the manufacturer, the car can go as far as 555 km depending on the driving speed, style, and other factors. 

The Opel Vivaro van is available starting at €47,000. It offers a range of approximately 350 km. 

Honda is catching up. The company is currently selling its hydrogen cars, which have a range of 430 km (WLTP), exclusively in California.

Speaking of design and technology, hydrogen vehicles are similar to other modern cars. They feature elegant designs, advanced parking systems, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and smart connectivity options. All in all, if you don’t know that it’s a hydrogen car, you won’t find out until you check the dashboard carefully or need refuelling. 

No, hydrogen cars are currently not subsidised. In Germany, they were subsidised with an environmental bonus until the end of 2023. Since the government stopped these subsidies for both electric and hydrogen cars, there is no bonus for choosing a hydrogen model now. 
Today, in Germany, you can get support through an investment loan with lower interest rates. There are also programs to promote hydrogen production and environmental projects, including hydrogen cars. For example, Austria will offer up to €820 million in federal funds for hydrogen production projects starting in December 2024.

While the Mercedes GLC F-Cell allowed you to travel as far as 300 km, a single hydrogen refuelling in the BMW iX5 Hydrogen (expected in the second half of this decade) will take you as far as 504 kilometers (WLTP). In contrast, electric vehicles took time to evolve from short to long ranges. For instance, the Renault Twingo Electric has a range of only 190 km (WLTP). In this respect, hydrogen cars started with a significant advantage.

Whether you are choosing a petrol, electric, or hydrogen car, consumption will influence your cost of driving a lot. Therefore, it is one of the key factors to consider when choosing a vehicle. So, how much “fuel” do hydrogen cars consume per km on average? Let’s have a look. 
The Toyota Mirai uses 1.0 kg of hydrogen per 100 km, which gives it a CO₂ value of 120 g/km when you look at the whole fuel production process. The Hyundai Nexo, on the other hand, consumes a bit more — 1.2 kg per 100 km — so you’re looking at €12 to €13 for every 100 km you drive, depending on hydrogen prices. While not exactly pocket change, these cars do have the upper hand when it comes to range and quick refuelling, making them worth drivers’ attention.

Fuel cells have an electrical efficiency of around 35%. To compare, in conventional vehicles only about 25% of the energy from the fuel is used to make the car move — the rest is lost as heat. In electric cars, about 85% of the electricity goes into moving the car.

No, currently there are not enough hydrogen filling stations to travel as easily and worry-free as with an electric car. Let’s take a look at the numbers. Germany has about 100 hydrogen filling stations, while there are over 260 in Europe and more than 900 worldwide. 
What about charging stations for electric cars — are there significantly more? YES. As of September 1, 2024, Germany has 145,857 public charging points for electric vehicles. Europe has made a big step toward sustainable transportation by reaching over 900,000 public charging stations for electric cars. By the end of 2023, there were 3.9 million public charging points available globally.
Interestingly, this was one of the main reasons Mercedes stopped making its hydrogen models. Launched in late 2018 after Toyota and Hyundai introduced their fuel cell cars, the Mercedes GLC F-Cell was only available in a limited series through leasing to a small group of high-profile customers. The 300 km range wasn’t very impressive either, but production mainly stopped due to the limited number of hydrogen stations and the high technology costs. 
The issue with hydrogen filling stations is like the chicken and egg problem. Car manufacturers don’t want to make vehicles that can only refuel in a few places. On the other hand, filling station providers don’t know where the customers will come from if only a few car models exist.

One of the easiest ways to find hydrogen filling stations is by using H2 Mobility. The system shows refuelling points from major providers such as Air Liquide, Daimler, and Shell. You can access a digital map that displays all European hydrogen stations, including their addresses, operators, and opening hours. The H2.LIVE app, available for free on the App Store and Google Play, provides live information about these stations, including maintenance schedules and fuel card applications. 

Refuelling at public charging stations takes about five minutes, giving a range similar to modern diesel cars. Doing this at home with more comfort and at a lower price, like owners of electric cars do, currently and in the foreseeable future, is not possible. 
To compare, charging an electric car at a DC or HPC public charging station takes around 20-60 min depending on your car and battery status. If you have a wallbox such as the go-e Charger Gemini 2.0 or Gemini flex 2.0, at home, charging might take 4-8 hours. However, this factor doesn’t play a significant role, as you can charge whenever the car is parked — for instance, at night. 
Refuelling a hydrogen vehicle works much like with a regular car. You connect the nozzle to your vehicle's port, then press a button to start. The system checks for leaks and stops automatically if there's a problem. 

A hydrogen car consumes an average of 0.8 kg per 100 km. So, for every 100 km driven, it uses less than 1 kg of hydrogen. Fuel prices for hydrogen fluctuate, but at most filling stations, it costs between €15 and €16 per kilogram. This means that driving 100 km in a hydrogen car would cost you around €12 to €13.
An electric car uses around 15 kWh of electricity per 100 km, with home charging costs averaging €0.37 per kWh. This results in a cost of about €5.55 per 100 km.
In comparison, a similar vehicle with a combustion engine consumes 7.4 litres per 100 km, with the current average gasoline price in Germany being around €1.655 per litre. This results in a cost of about €12 per 100 km. Those living in Austria pay around €1.51 per litre, which works out at €11 per 100 km with the stated consumption.

Hydrogen vehicles are just as safe as petrol, natural gas, diesel, and electric cars. Because hydrogen is invisible and flammable, it simply needs different safety measures. It won't explode unless there’s a specific trigger and an ignition source. 
Here’s how safety is ensured:

• Legal safety regulations: Regulation (EC) No. 79/2009 sets high safety standards for hydrogen cars. According to the regulations, vehicles must undergo tests for pressure, leaks, and fire safety.
• Controlled storage: Hydrogen is stored in secure tanks that prevent any dangerous reactions with oxygen.
• Crash tests: Just like other cars, hydrogen vehicles follow European crash safety standards. Only in a total wreck is the tank likely to be damaged.

Hydrogen technology has the potential for sustainable development. Mostly because fuel cell vehicles produce only water vapour in fuel cells. This makes hydrogen a clean source of energy. Although the fuel can be stored and transported, it must be produced using renewable energy sources to be truly environmentally friendly.

There are several types of hydrogen and they are named like colours. Each type can be used to refuel a hydrogen-powered car. The substance itself, however, is entirely colourless.

Grey hydrogen is obtained from natural gas by a process called steam reforming. This process is very energy-intensive and, as you have already guessed, harmful to the environment, as the CO2 that is released is released into the atmosphere.

Blue hydrogen is slightly less harmful to the environment than grey hydrogen. It is basically produced in the same way as grey hydrogen, but up to 90 percent of the gaseous CO2 is stored underground after vapour reforming and is therefore not released into the atmosphere, or only to a small extent. Of course, this does not change the fact that hydrogen is also obtained from fossil resources.

Turquoise hydrogen is produced from a gas, namely methane, which is split into hydrogen and solid carbon. So instead of gaseous CO2, as you have correctly heard, solid CO2 is produced, which can be stored underground or bound in the ground. This means that no CO2 is released into the atmosphere. However, the process is not currently geared towards the production of hydrogen, which is why it is currently only a by-product of this process.

Green hydrogen is produced from pure water and the electricity needed for electrolysis, the process in which the water is split into its components hydrogen and oxygen, comes from renewable energy sources. Currently, however, only around 5% of green hydrogen is produced, which is mainly imported from Africa and the Middle East, as European countries do not have the means to produce it on a large scale. This means that transporting hydrogen, even if it is produced in an environmentally friendly way, would still cause CO2 emissions.

As for today, most green hydrogen is imported from places like Africa and the Middle East. Unfortunately, European countries do not have the facilities to produce it on a large scale. This means that even if hydrogen is produced in an eco-friendly way, its transportation likely causes CO2 emissions. 
To build a hydrogen economy, we should focus on producing green hydrogen locally. Blue, orange, and turquoise types can help us move in the right direction.

Hydrogen cars are sometimes referred to as those using "fuel of the future." However, they currently account for less than 1% of global vehicle sales, compared to around 14 million (18% of global vehicle sales) electric cars sold worldwide in 2023 alone. Quite a difference, right? Let’s compare other important facts to have a clear picture.