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Alternative and Advanced Fuels

Hydrogen as an Alternative Fuel

The interest in hydrogen as an alternative transportation fuel stems from its clean-burning qualities, its potential for domestic production, and the fuel cell vehicle's potential for high efficiency (two to three times more efficient than gasoline vehicles). Hydrogen is considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992.

The energy in 2.2 lb (1 kg) of hydrogen gas is about the same as the energy in 1 gallon of gasoline. A light-duty fuel cell vehicle must store 11-29 lb (5-13 kg) of hydrogen to enable an adequate driving range of 300 miles or more. Because hydrogen has a low volumetric energy density (a small amount of energy by volume compared with fuels such as gasoline), storing this much hydrogen on a vehicle using currently available technology would require a very large tank—larger than the trunk of a typical car. Advanced technologies are needed to reduce the required storage space and weight.

Storage technologies under development include high-pressure tanks with gaseous hydrogen compressed at up to 10,000 pounds per square inch, cryogenic liquid hydrogen cooled to -423°F (-253°C) in insulated tanks, and chemical bonding of hydrogen with another material (such as metal hydrides). See the fact sheet Hydrogen Storage (PDF 438 KB). Download Adobe Reader.

Chart with different-size bars showing the relative volume needed for various hydrogen storage methods to achieve a greater than 300 mile driving range. At top is the shortest bar, representing 20 gallons of gasoline. Below this bar is a bar of equal length representing the year 2015 target for hydrogen storage. Below the 2015 target bar are five more bars, starting with a bar representing the volume of liquid hydrogen required, which is more than twice as long as the 2015 target bar. The rest of the bars increase in length--with each bar longer than the one above it--in the following order, representing the increasing volumes required to enable a 300-mile range: chemical hydrides, compressed 10,000 psi, metal hydrides, and compressed 5,000 psi.

(Source: Hydrogen.gov)

Also see the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and Infrastructure Technologies Web site for more information on hydrogen as an alternative fuel.

Most of the few currently operating hydrogen fueling stations are in California. Visit Hydrogen Fueling Station Locations to see if there are stations near you.

Hydrogen can also be blended with natural gas to create a transportation fuel that can be used in today's natural gas vehicles, with significant decreases in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. See Hydrogen/Natural Gas (HCNG) Fuel Blends.