Just Replacing Petrol !

So far the electric car has not met the expectations of the industry analysts who for decades have predicted that it would help save the planet from global warming.   The majority of new cars sold each year continue to be powered by the internal combustion engine and it is obvious that the massive international car industry is reluctant to go much further than hybrid models.

The stumbling block is distance possible on a full battery charge.   That is ever extending, but the small number of all electric cars now on the road is inhibiting the building of fast charge refuelling  stations, and without these electric cars are reduced to an overnight charge on the mains electric supply.

The reluctance to change by the car manufacturing industry is understandable.  Their production lines and worker skills are based on the internal combustion engine and they are very good at what they make.  The government is also well satisfied with the tax regime it has applied to oil based car fuel and electric cars will necessitate a complex and costly new charging system.

The problem is we are now getting the effects of a hotter planet and the scientists tell us this is caused by our reliance on fossil fuels. They point the finger at the coal we dig out of the ground and use to generate electric power and the oil we use to drive the millions of cars running on the world's roads.   Wind and solar can replace coal, and the electric car seems like the answer to that oil problem.

Now a new challenge has arisen to the dominance of the electric car, and that would probably suit both the car manufacturing industry and world governments.  If the problem of global warming is the necessity of oil to run the internal combustion engine, there is a fast developing new fuel that can replace oil without damaging the planet.

That is the promise of hydrogen fuel.  Hydrogen is a combustible gas that is derived from the most common basic found on this planet - water !  Water, both fresh and salty - is known as h20 and breaks down into hydrogen and oxygen.  Hydrogen has many industrial uses and before airplanes it was the lifting agent in the age of airships.

It is the explosive gas from a mix of petrol and air that drives the internal combustion engine, and exactly the same result can be achieved by a mix of hydrogen and air.  A lot of research has gone into developing a hydrogen fuel unit and this has now reached the stage where field tests are underway in Australia.

What is promising is that this is being conducted with a car manufacturing company.  The hydrogen gas is manufactured by Jemena, a wholly owned subsidiary of infrastructure giant Wesfarmers and this work is being done in conjunction with Hyundai, an innovative South Korean car manufacturer who has claimed a fair share of sales on the world car stage.

The hydrogen fuel cell leaves behind no residue - except water.  Hyundai will install a hydrogen refuelling station in Sydney and the entire car industry will watch progress with incredible interest. The problem facing hydrogen is the same as bedevils the  electric car - the need for a range of fuelling stations to extend the driving range.

If that hydrogen fuel cell can be made compatible with existing service stations it could stop the electric car in its tracks.    The hydrogen fuel cell with zero emissions would suit the car industry and the government because it would retain the internal combustion engine - and the " pay as you pump " tax system.

There is very big money backing this hydrogen fuel cell development and the outcome could be a cooler, safer planet and less disruption to the car industry.