Hydrogen car: with water the world ����

To recharge a hydrogen car, you have to forget that it is an electric. On this point, it indeed resembles thermal and hybrids. For what ? Simply because it does not recharge with a cable, but it supplies, as with any other fuel. So just find a hydrogen station. In just a few minutes your hydrogen car is charged with block, ready to go free from water vapor. Isn’t it beautiful ? In any case, it’s green(gique).

What is the price of a hydrogen car ?

Given a fairly limited offer and volumes of production, hydrogen cars are now much more expensive than petrol, diesel and even electric models. We explain to you why.

You are thinking of buying a fuel cell car ? Expect to put your hand in your pocket because the prices are still quite high. In France, only two hydrogen car models are offered on the market: the Toyota Mirai in the sedan segment and the Hyundai Nexo on that of SUVs. In both cases, the sale price exceeds € 70,000.

Model	Price
Toyota Mirai	€ 71,500
Hyundai Nexo	€ 80,400

To note : The above prices do not include the ecological bonus granted for the purchase of a hydrogen car.

Why are hydrogen cars so expensive ?

Several factors explain the high price of hydrogen cars. In addition to the rarity of the offer, the manufacturers have chosen to market both high -end and well -equipped models. Rather addressed to professional uses, they are far from being as accessible as models positioned on “general public” segments.

The other explanation comes from the volumes of production. In industry, the principle is simple: the more we produce in quantity, the more costs we manage to reduce costs. Central component of hydrogen cars, fuel cells are not yet large -scale industrialized (it is underway). Produced in small series, they weigh heavily on the price of hydrogen cars. There is the industrialization of vehicles themselves in themselves. Today, the production of the two main manufacturers, Hyundai and Toyota, are limited to only a few thousand units per year where other technologies are produced several hundred thousand copies each year each year.

Hydrogen cars are produced in small quantities, justifying a very high price.

Will the price of hydrogen cars will decrease in the coming years ?

Like batteries for electric cars, fuel cells are called upon to become more and more accessible. This will involve massive industrialization and it will undoubtedly have to wait until 2025-2030 before seeing the arrival of hydrogen cars arriving at much more reasonable costs.

It is now difficult to make projections on the upcoming prices of hydrogen cars because it also depends on the will of manufacturers to accelerate the production in large series of their models. However, we hope that the price of hydrogen cars drop below 40,000 € in the second half of this decade. A price that will remain high but which will already allow you to reach a wider audience.

Hydrogen car: with water the world ����

The automotive world is transformed, with the objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. To meet this objective, our uses are transformed and new mobility flourishes: electric car, solar car, hydrogen car … It is on the latter that we will linger, because it represents one of our possible car adventures. To invest in the future, let’s throw ourselves with water with almost 0 emission cars that emit water … Hydrogen cars. Plouf ��

1. Hydrogen car: operation
2. Advantages and disadvantages of the hydrogen car
3. How to recharge a hydrogen car ?
4. Hydrogen car electric car: what differences ?
5. Price of a hydrogen car
6. How is hydrogen for cars made ?
7. Hydrogen car: what models in France ?
8. Electric car rental
9. Hydrogen vehicle FAQ

1. How a hydrogen car works ?

Its mechanics seem complex at first. However, it is very simple. The hydrogen vehicle rolls thanks to the electricity generated by a fuel cell (fuel being here, hydrogen here). The hydrogen engine is pushed by a battery (electric) electric car. Finally, the car emits water vapor. For what ? Simply because water (h₂o) is a mixture of hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms. NASA uses hydrogen in liquid form and batteries for decades for its rockets. However, it was not until 2015 and the launch of the Toyota Mirai for the general public to access hydrogen vehicles.

2. Advantages and disadvantages of the hydrogen car

Advantages of the hydrogen car

• It offers soft mobility: no CO2 emission, that’s what we want
• The autonomy of a hydrogen vehicle is as large as it recharges quickly
• No visual pollution or noise pollution: as an electric car, it is silent

Disadvantages of the hydrogen vehicle

• It will fall asleep with the appearance of new models on the market; But the current entry ticket to acquire a hydrogen car remains high
• A low offer of hydrogen stations, with a presence in major cities in around fifty stations
• Hydrogen is a gas that requires maximum safety due to its high flammability

3. How to recharge a hydrogen car ?

To recharge a hydrogen car, you have to forget that it is an electric. On this point, it indeed resembles thermal and hybrids. For what ? Simply because it does not recharge with a cable, but it supplies, as with any other fuel. So just find a hydrogen station. In just a few minutes your hydrogen car is charged with block, ready to go free from water vapor. Isn’t it beautiful ? In any case, it’s green(gique).

4. Hydrogen car electric car: what differences ?

Technically, a hydrogen car is an electric car .. But we will talk here about the differences between a hydrogen car and a “classic” electric car.

• Autonomy: The advantage goes to the hydrogen car, whose autonomy is much higher
• Carbon footprint : The hydrogen car does not emit carbon but its manufacture in genre. However, Deloitte’s office estimates that carbon emissions from the hydrogen car are lower than that of the electric car and significantly lower than those of thermal and hybrid vehicles
• Energy : A hydrogen vehicle draws its energy from hydrogen while the electric car is powered by an engine
• Recharge: It is day and night, since the electric car recharges on socket in a few hours while a full of hydrogen requires only a few minutes
• Price : The advantage goes to the electric car, due to its much more diverse offer, in particular. There are also several electric cars at less than € 20,000 in our cheapest electric cars guide !

5. Price of a hydrogen car ?

You find that electric cars are expensive ? Wait until you see the vehicle prices with water engine ! Clearly, they suffer from the same problem as the first Tesla: it is out of reach for many motorists. There cheapest hydrogen car costs 71.EUR 500 in France (Toyota Mirai, Catalog Prize 2023). However, this should drop if the adoption continues. For example, the NAMX HUV is announced at 65.EUR 000 (released in 2025), for an excellent autonomy of 800 km.

6. How is hydrogen for cars made ?

L’Hydrogen (H) is the most abundant chemical in the universe. On earth, it is however rare (0.22 %). In addition, there is hardly in its pure form. Most of the time, hydrogen is associated with oxygen to form this water essential to life. It is also found in living things (yes, 63 % of our atoms are hydrogen !) and in natural gas.

Must therefore make fuel. How to do car hydrogen ? By separating the H molecules atoms which have hydrogen. Obviously, this operation consumes energy. Hence the significant cost of full hydrogen !

Currently, the manufacture of hydrogen is mainly done by Natural gas vaporeformation. The problem is that this technique emits almost as many CO2 that a car that would consume directly from the LPG. Technique by electrolysis, as long as electricity is of green origin, would make it possible to produce ecological hydrogen. However, the yields remain low in 2023, so that it is unknown whether this option will hold the road from an economic point of view compared to the direct use of the current produced in an electric car in an electric car.

7. Hydrogen car: what models in France ?

���� Hopium Machina Vision: the first French hydrogen car

The first French hydrogen car made as much noise in the automotive world as it is silent on the road. This sedan already “weighs”, without mentioning its measurements: 4.9 meters long and 1.4 meters high as well as a tank of 10 kilos of hydrogen. The Hopium Machina Vision has under the hood to revolutionize the world of the automobile, just like its founder, Olivier Lombard. His past as a racing pilot led him to be a test pilot of the Mission H24 prototype for “the 24h of the Le Mans of the Future”. The objective ? That a hydrogen car runs at 24 hours in 2025. In terms of performance, Hopium Machina Vision climbs directly into the laps: Hydrogen engine of 500 horses, autonomy of 1000 kilometers and recharging in 3 minutes. No more no less.

���� Hyundai Nexo: the first hydrogen SUV

���� Toyota Mirai: the first hydrogen car

No wonder “Mirai” means “future” in Japanese .. Toyota was avant-garde with the Mirai, the first edition of which was released in 2015 in Europe. Since 2021, we are entitled to the second generation of the hydrogen vehicle, the Toyota Mirai II. This is the model that we are interested. On the performance side, the new Toyota Mirai recharges in 5 minutes and has 3 hydrogen tanks for an announced autonomy of 650 km. In fact, the Toyota Mirai II broke two autonomy records of a hydrogen car:

• June 2021: 1000 kilometers by consuming 5.51 kilos of hydrogen (only one full). Record set in France ����.
• August 2021: 1360 kilometers by consuming 5.65 kilos of hydrogen (only one full). Record established in California ����.

Toyota considers hydrogen as an effective fuel for the future. Our goal is to continue to solve environmental and energy problems thanks to mass production of electric battery -fuel vehicles. They are very effective, can travel long distances, refuel quickly and emit only water. They have enormous potential.

Yoshikazu Tanaka – Mirai chief engineer

���� NAMX HUV: 800 km of autonomy

���� BMW IX5 Hydrogen: Premium per hour h

Electric car rental

Did you know ? At Sixt, we offer electric car rental. One day, perhaps, you will find a hydrogen car there … In the meantime, here is our guide compiling the autonomy, duration and charging time of electric cars at Sixt. Also know that we offer ..

• Electric utility rental: You can be a “heavy goods vehicle” which emits a featherweight of CO2 … Take advantage of the rental of electric utility with Sixt.
• Electric bike rental: Stroll through smart bikes in the streets of Paris with the rental of electric bikes.
• Electric trottine rental: Find the electric trotters of our Lyon Lyon Partner in Bordeaux, Lyon and Paris.
• Electric VTC driver: Our VTC driver service, Sixt Ride, has a “green” category to drive you by electric car.

The Tip Sixt: See you on Sixt.fr and on the Sixt application to take advantage of our services. By booking your first sixt ride race on the app, you will benefit from € 15 reduction.

Hydrogen vehicle FAQ

What is the price of a full of hydrogen ?

In 2023, the price per kilo of hydrogen ranges from EUR 18 to 18 per kilo. This significant fluctuation is justified by its low availability. This lack of competition does not play in favor of competitive prices. A full representative of 5 to 7 kg, the price of full hydrogen is 60 to 100 EUR.

What is the future of the hydrogen car ?

Hard to say. In 2023, the hydrogen car remains uncomfortable. The adoption of electric cars has lowered prices, the hydrogen engine is handicapped by the price of full and its low production volumes. In the event of the impulse of the public authorities in favor of the “water engine”, this could nevertheless change.

What is the autonomy of a hydrogen car ?

The autonomy of hydrogen vehicles is, for a standard model, about 650 km. The Machina (French hydrogen car) should offer a radius of action of 1.000 km when it will be released in 2025.

What is the first hydrogen car ?

There Toyota Mirai was the first public hydrogen vehicle. She has already been on sale since 2015. However, the first fuel cell prototype was created in 1966. It was General Motor who was behind the Chevrolet Electrovan, A kind of water engine minibus.

You want to deepen the subject ? Here is something to electrify your readings ��✅

• New electric cars 2022-2023
• The top 10 alternatives to the petrol car
• Solar car: the lunar success of Light Year
• How to choose your electric scooter
• Electric charging station: the Oke Charge revolution
• Road trip by electric car: manual
• Car outing: what’s new in 2023-2024 ?

[Article updated on April 18, 2023]