[zoyd]

One crucial reservation about hydrogen is whether it's even economical when the full-cycle cost of producing and distributing it are factored in.

But eventually it's hoped hydrogen will be made from water through electrolysis, which currently takes more energy than it produces.

Keep this in mind.

[Restorer]

But eventually it's hoped hydrogen will be made from water through electrolysis, which currently takes more energy than it produces.

Uhh, given the laws of nature, it will always take more energy than is produced, as long as you're dealing with chemical processes.

To get more energy from water than you put in would require a Mr. Fusion, which may be a few years down the road.

[EEDUDE]

"But eventually it's hoped hydrogen will be made from water through electrolysis, which currently takes more energy than it produces."

It may be a clean fuel, but somewhere there has to be a reactor, a coal or oil fueled plant or some other energy source to produce it. Those are all unacceptable to most environmentalists. They just move the pollution somewhere else.

Liquid hydrogen is a very explosive fuel, unless it is stored in some type of matrix.

It is also not a high energy density fuel. It will take a lot of it to replace petroleum based fuels.

Don't hold your breath waiting for this technology to be commercially available for the masses.

I've spent a lot of time designing control systems for natural gas engines, and they are extremely clean, but suffer from low energy density fuel, and a lack of natural gas "filling station".

They are primarily purchased for UPS, airport shuttles, and city buses.

I really don't think hydrogen is a realistic option, but I sure would like to present my middle finger to the Arab oil cartel!