Just what does constitute a hydrogen car, is a question I’ve been pondering lately. Most so-called hydrogen cars use either compressed or liquefied hydrogen in their tanks to power the vehicle. But, there are several other cars that are filled with natural gas, methane or even gasoline and use reformers to extract the hydrogen and run the H2 through a fuel cell in order to power the vehicle. Does this type of vehicle qualify as a hydrogen car?
And then, there is a vehicle such as the Peugeot H2O Firefighter that is essentially an electric vehicle that uses compressed hydrogen gas and a fuel cell to power the emergency functions of the vehicle. The hydrogen fuel cell powers such devices as the pumps, communication systems, electric sockets and smoke extractors. Does this vehicle qualify as a hydrogen vehicle?
Through this process of deciding what does and what does not constitute a hydrogen car, I’ve concluded for this website and blog that a vehicle must use hydrogen to provide power for the wheels to be considered a hydrogen car. For better or for worse, that’s my definition. Any comments to the contrary?