Cleaning the air and improving health with hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles

Journal Article · Fri Jun 24 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Science (Washington, D.C.)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1109157· OSTI ID:20638547

Jacobson, M Z; Colella, W G; Golden, D M ^[1]

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1. Stanford University, Stanford, CA (US). Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Converting all U.S. onroad vehicles to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (HFCVs) may improve air quality, health, and climate significantly, whether the hydrogen is produced by steam reforming of natural gas, wind electrolysis, or coal gasification. Most benefits would result from eliminating current vehicle exhaust. Wind and natural gas HFCVs offer the greatest potential health benefits and could save 3700 to 6400 U.S. lives annually. Wind HFCVs should benefit climate most. An all-HFCV fleet would hardly affect tropospheric water vapor concentrations. Conversion to coal HFCVs may improve health but would damage climate more than fossil/electric hybrids. The real cost of hydrogen from wind electrolysis may be below that of U.S. gasoline.

• OSTI ID: 20638547
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.), Journal Name: Science (Washington, D.C.) Journal Issue: 5730 Vol. 308; ISSN SCIEAS; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
AIR QUALITY
COAL GASIFICATION
ELECTROLYSIS
HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
NATURAL GAS
VEHICLES
WIND