Our ancestors had no idea that emitting pollutants into the atmosphere would eventually lead to global warming and cause us to have a need to reduce emissions from factories and vehicles. They also weren’t aware of the population growth or life expectancy that would grow over time either. Thankfully, we are aware of these things and have taken many steps to move toward new ways to either replenish the atmosphere or at the very least, reduce the negative impact we’ve already had on our environment which needs to be protected and improved so that future generations can be able to enjoy the world we leave them.
In an effort to help reduce the emissions that are put into the air from vehicles, many companies have worked hard to develop hybrid, EV, and hydrogen powertrains for us to enjoy the ride. The most popular of the three is the hybrid because these cars use a gasoline backup engine to make sure the car can still be used when the batteries have been drained, but EV models are growing at a strong rate as well to give us electric power. Even though hydrogen-powered models aren’t being offered in a large number, Hyundai has recently reached a milestone with their hydrogen-powered Tucson models.
The Celebration
Even though we seem to have a “National Day” for everything that we can think of, the fact that National Hydrogen Day was celebrated last month gives us a chance to talk about what Hyundai was able to do with their Tucson Fuel Cell models. This is an SUV that’s only offered in the California area because this is a state that has several hydrogen refueling stations already offered to make sure the vehicles can be filled up and made to continue to drive and enjoy on the roads in your area.
Recently, the hydrogen-fueled Hyundai Tucson models that have been on the roads since 2014 surpassed the three million miles driven mark. This is an incredible number considering only 150 models that are powered this way have been sold since this SUV has been added to the market. The number of miles that have been drive represents the ability to avoid adding nearly 1,140 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere because the only emissions offered from the hydrogen models is water vapor. That’s a huge savings and certainly a great way to help save the atmosphere and the environment we all live in.
Because the only hold back for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is the lack of a proper infrastructure, this should be the next fuel system that’s developed and used as widely as gasoline models. These vehicles have a similar range to a gasoline vehicle and fill up just as fast, to make them a more convenient choice than EV models. The questions, as we admire what Hyundai has already accomplished with the FCV Tucson models, is whether or not an automaker will make the investment to develop the hydrogen infrastructure to allow these vehicles to be sold around the country?