Hydrogen Cars Were the Key to the Future. For Some Owners, That Future Hasn’t Arrived Yet

“We have a giant, beautiful, red paperweight in our driveway,” Snell says.

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

Just below 12,000 fuel-cell electrical automobiles, powered by hydrogen as an alternative of gasoline or pure electrical energy, have been on the highway 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 out there hydrogen gas station.) American drivers purchased nearly 3,000 of the automobiles final 12 months, in accordance to an business group.

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

“We are suffering from premature deployment,” says Robin Gaster, a public coverage researcher and senior fellow at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation who just lately revealed a report on clear hydrogen coverage. Policymakers and automotive corporations, he argues, have been too early to launch unproven hydrogen fueling know-how.

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

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

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

Shell Hydrogen spokesperson Anna Arata wrote in a press release that the firm goals to “be more disciplined in our delivery,” and intends to make investments $1 billion in hydrogen and carbon-capture storage know-how each this 12 months and subsequent.