Most of us are familiar with the internal combustion engine (ICE) that uses gas to power a vehicle and that it has become the de facto standard for automobiles used around the nation. Hybrid vehicles have gained in their popularity over the last several years as they allow for a better return in gas mileage when put into effect. Hydrogen hybrid technology has been experimented on over the last several years as an alternative to the ICE methodology but according to research there is still some work that needs to be done on this type of vehicle before it is ready for market.
There are several companies on the market that are already using hydrogen hybrid technology and are making the conversions from a standard ICE vehicle to one that uses mixed methodology. The testing however doesn’t show and great benefits from adding hydrogen equipment to the vehicle. There are other tests that do show some benefits from adding the technology to system in the right conditions.
Hydrogen internal combustion engine cars are different from hydrogen fuel cell cars when it comes to hydrogen hybrid technology. The hydrogen internal combustion car is a slightly modified version of the traditional gasoline internal combustion engine car. These hydrogen engines burn fuel in the same manner that gasoline engines do. Paul Dieges patented In 1970 a modification to internal combustion engines which allowed a gasoline-powered engine to run on hydrogen..
Mazda has developed Wankel engines that burn hydrogen as it relates to hydrogen hybrid technology. The advantage of using ICE such as Wankel and piston engines is that the cost of retooling for production is much lower. Existing-technology ICE can still be used to solve those problems where fuel cells are not a viable solution as yet.
With hydrogen hybrid technology, the fuel cells were at one time costly based on industry averages. Their 2005 cost figure was $73 USD/kW however this cost has successfully fallen since then and which should meet the the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2010 goal of $30 USD/kW.
There are many companies that are researching hydrogen hybrid technology at this time and there are some automobile manufacturers that have already began developing cars that use hydrogen as a source of the engine. On the other hand, Ford has discontinued this practice saying that they are more interested in electrified automobiles rather than ones that uses hydrogen power. Other companies such as Daimler, Hyundai and Nissan are continuing their research into these types of automobiles as a way to be competitive in the market. In May 2009, the U.S. government announced that it will cease funding the development of fuel cell hydrogen vehicles so there may be a limitation on the life cycle of this technology.