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Should I buy a hydrogen car?

Please can you explain what using a hydrogen fuel cell car would actually be like? Is it readily available to fill up and how would it compare to a standard car with regards to cost?

Asked on 11 August 2022 by Michael David Bullen

Answered by Andrew Brady
In theory, a hydrogen car could be the ideal compromise between a petrol and an electric car. It's better for the environment and cheaper to run than a petrol (or diesel) car, while it's also similar to an electric car in the way it drives (with effortless acceleration, brake regeneration and impressive refinement). Hydrogen cars can also travel further between top-ups than battery-electric vehicles, while refuelling a hydrogen car takes a matter of minutes.

The problem with hydrogen is it's expensive to produce and the infrastructure for refuelling hydrogen cars simply isn't there (there are currently around 14 hydrogen filling stations in the UK). There are very few hydrogen cars on the market and, as we're now so far down the path of pure-electric vehicles, I don't think we're going to see a seismic shift towards hydrogen power in the future.
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