1 min read

When will hydrogen cars be common?

Keyboard Greenbang’s back on a hunt for a sweet, wonderful phrase.

Being the weekend she’s enjoyed the phrase “this round’s on me”. Sadly this hasn’t been heard very often. And not once from anyone cute.

So, she’ll more than happily settle with one of the two following phrases:

Government scientists see hydrogen cars as commonplace by 2050.”

and

2 million hydrogen cars possible by 2020

These headlines both took place in US publications, the Seattle Post Intelligencer (is that an actual word?) and the McClatchy Washington Bureau.  They both appear to be based on the same information but have cherry picked different points.  The highlights according to McClatchy:

  • Assuming big subsidies, production of hydrogen vehicles could increase significantly by 2015
  • The maximum number of vehicles by 2020 is 2 million
  • By 2023, “the total cost of fuel cell vehicles, including the cost of hydrogen fuel over a vehicle’s lifetime, could become competitive with conventional vehicles”
  • They reach nearly 60 million in 2035
  • 200 million by 2050

To be honest, Greenbang would be delighted, if a little surprised, to see 2 million hyrogen cars on the road within 12 years if the infrastructure doesn’t improve rapidly.  She would, however, be interested in seeing what Japan might have in store for hydrogen power by 2015.  If the small island nation continues on its quest to lead the world then it will make for very exciting viewing.