Hydrogen Fuel Cells use two reactants; Hydrogen and Oxygen. These can possibly be sourced from the electrolysis of water, powered by electricity from solar panels, or wind turbines, for a fully emission-free power method. The Hydrogen enters the cell at the anode side of the cell, whereas the oxygen enters at the cathode side of the cell. There is a catalyst inside the cell, for example platinum, which catalyses the hydrogen, and causes the electron and the proton of the hydrogen atom to split. The proton passes through the polymer separating the two sides of the cell. The electron continues down as a current, to produce electricity. The electron carries on through to the other side of the cell, where it again bonds with the proton, which passed through the polymer. This forms the hydrogen atom. This bonds with an oxygen atom to form water. This water is usually released as a vapour or steam, but could prospectively be used to again be electrolysed to again produce the reactants of hydrogen and oxygen.
Humphry Davy initially conceived the idea of a hydrogen fuel cell in 1801, but it was William Grove who produced in first working fuel cell in 1842. The first recorded fuel cell vehicle was a modified tractor, and General Motors produced the Chevrolet Electrovan in 1966. However, the project was deemed cost-prohibitive, and so, only one was
The FCX was a concept initially devised by Honda in 1999, as a car to be powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The first car to go on mass-produced, road legal sale was the Honda FCX Clarity in 2008, available for lease in Southern California and Japan. The electric motors produced 108hp and it had a range of 240mi. The Hyundai FCEV ix35 and the Nissan Mirai are other examples of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. Honda has announced another FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicle), The FCV, which claims to have a range of over 300mi, a compact fuel cell with a 3 to 5 minute refuelling time and be much more efficient than the FCX Clarity (60%). The car is scheduled for release in Japan in March 2016, And the UK in 2017.
