A few days ago, Hyundai unveiled the Initium concept car announcing the future replacement for the Nexo, this SUV equipped with a fuel cell currently priced at an elite price of €80,600 in France. The Toyota Mirai, the only other new hydrogen model offered on our market, costs €73,000 in base price and is not of much interest to customers at a time when the best electric family cars remain significantly more affordable (and benefit from ‘a charging network infinitely more developed than that of hydrogen).
Moreover, these hydrogen models are sold very little worldwide. In 2023, 14 451 vehicles equipped with this technology have been sold worldwide according to figures from SNE Research. In 2022, there were 20,704 in a record year. Like Hyundai, Toyota is still working on developing better fuel cell systems and must soon present its third generation, in addition to also working on piston thermal blocks operating with dihydrogen instead of classic fossil fuel. But these projects remain at anecdotal levels compared to the world of large-scale production for the moment.
As for the French start-ups which caused a sensation at the 2022 Paris World Cup, their projects have also been largely reduced. Hopium has nevertheless just presented the final version of its “customer” fuel cell, failing to be able to design a complete car as was originally planned. She is always looking for partners to ensure her survival.
Green hydrogen still does not exist
Dihydrogen itself has nothing to do with the initial promises of virtue regarding its “green” production. While the European Union was targeting annual consumption of 20 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030, only 0.3% of the 7.2 million tonnes currently consumed annually come from renewable sources as reported by the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. As the journalists from Les Echos point out, “green” hydrogen always costs much more than hydrogen produced using polluting techniques and the entire French and European sector, which has already swallowed up a lot of public money for its development, is significantly scaling back its factory construction plans due to lack of demand. Some of the electrolyser construction companies are very close to bankruptcy and new aid will be needed to save them.
Hydrogen in supercars and racing cars?
If the development of general public hydrogen automobiles seems more compromised than ever while electric cars continue to progress, the technical solution of thermal engines powered by dihydrogen still seems relevant for very specific applications in racing cars and exceptional sports cars. Starting from the principle that these machines will not need a large quantity of hydrogen due to their reduced number and that the technology of the hydrogen thermal engine makes it possible to achieve peak performances while preserving sound emotionthere is undoubtedly hope for dream cars sold at high prices. Small manufacturers like Saleen and NamX are working on it and even Alpine continues to study the issue. Even if these vehicles must use hydrogen from non-“green” origins, their ecological balance sheet could remain better than that of classic thermal sports cars.
The hydrogen automobile revolution may in any case never happen even if this energy could be suitable for certain heavy transport. But even in these industries, nothing is less certain.
Business
