I’d by a European turbo diesel sedan today for my commute if the EPA would let me.
That being said, when fuel cells hit the market, they will come out of the gate about 30% more efficient than the best diesel. A SOFC would also be more flexible regarding fuel. It would run on diesel as easily as gasoline or kerosene, or fuel oil or methanol or what ever is cheapest per joule of energy.
I’m not philosophically opposed to the internal combustion engine. It has done a great job and will probably continue to so in some form for the next 100 years but there is room for better technology.
I’m not holding my breath on fuel cells. On paper, fuel cells are super-sexy technology. No moving parts, high efficiencies, quiet, etc. Oh, they look so sexy.
Why wouldn’t anyone want them? You put in a little hydrocarbon fuel (or pure H2) and out the back end comes gobs of electrical power.
We’ve been hearing about them in engineering for the last 40 years, just like solar cells are going to be so cheap that we’ll be able to do away with coal-fireed power plants “next year.”
There’s always room for new technology. The problem with some of these technologies is that researchers put out these wonderful prototypes, people get their hopes up, not understanding in the slightest what the economics of the widget they’ve seen are. Many times, the economics are horrible. Sure, we have solar cells with over 40% conversion efficiency. You couldn’t afford them on the roof of your house unless you’re Bill Gates.
Same deal for the SOFC cells. There’s fundamental materials engineering issues that have to be addressed, and we’re not making a whole bunch of progress on that issue.
Meanwhile, we could have made substantial strides with known and proven technology we have now.
As I said before: “The perfect is the mortal enemy of the good enough.” Diesels, batteries and motors are good enough to get over 80MPG. Now, today. And that 80MPG could have been delivered last year, or the year before, or the year before that... going all the way back to, oh, 1995 or so.
Yet here we are, 15 years later, with nothing but distractions to show for the time wasted.