About two-thirds of our crude oil consumption becomes transportation fuel; over 95% of our transportation fuel comes from crude oil. Gasoline, or related aliphatic hydrocarbons, represent the most efficient, convenient, least hazardous way to distribute, carry, and store hydrogen for use as fuel. In order to store the same number of hydrogen atoms in the same space as compressed gas, a pressure of nearly 20,000 PSI is required, about TEN TIMES what commercial tanks can contain. The fuel of the future might be hydrogen, but the hydrogen will be attached to carbon, and we will still call it gasoline. And when we don't have enough crude oil to make it from, we will use other raw materials.
Aviation has no viable alternative fuel, but our rail system could be converted to run off the electric grid with relative ease, which would save a significant amount amount of fuel. The additional electricity would be just small increase in total generating capacity. Yes, we would need to distribute it along the mainline tracks, but every existing locomotive ALREADY is electric powered - they just generate their own electricity with an internal diesel generator.
Agreed. Gasoline and diesel fuel (or components thereof) are nearly perfect vehicles for transporting energy. The whole H2 parade misses a large point in that the conversion of C into CO2 yields enormous energy.