Is the hydrogen vehicle the car of tomorrow?

We can easily foresee a future where roads are abuzz with electric vehicles: after all, new EV models are popping up every year featuring increasingly powerful batteries. In addition, an expanding network of charging stations is beginning to dot urban landscapes. However, we shouldn’t be too quick to dub the electric vehicle the car of tomorrow. There’s another eco-friendly option that’s starting to make its presence felt: the hydrogen vehicle.

Hydrogen vehicles, also known as fuel cell vehicles, are all the rage in California. Just ask car manufacturers like Toyota and Honda, whose hydrogen models—respectively the Mirai and the Clarity—can increasingly be seen cruising up and down California roadways. These automakers, as well as a number of industry experts, foresee a future in which electric and hydrogen cars will share the road.

However, as things stand at the moment, electric vehicles have the upper hand on hydrogen ones. The quantity sold in North America practically doubles each year and the number of charging stations is increasing at a similar rate. As for hydrogen vehicles, California is their lone epicentre. The new technology is more or less confined to this state, which alone has the necessary infrastructure—specifically, hydrogen stations and hydrogen-generation facilities.

Hydrogen vehicles versus electric vehicles

While they’re both eco-friendly options, hydrogen vehicles and electric vehicles have several important differences. Here are some key points to consider.

• Infrastructure costs. The infrastructure for hydrogen vehicles is more expensive to build and put in place: a single hydrogen station requires about a three million dollar investment, while a Level 2 EV charging station costs approximately $11,000 and a fast charging station, $30,000. Whereas an EV charging station can serve about 20 vehicles a day, a hydrogen station can fill up several hundred.

• Recharging. Recharging a hydrogen vehicle takes no longer than getting gas, but filling up an EV is a lot more slow going. Level 2 charging stations (currently the most common option) take between six and 12 hours to supply a complete charge; fast charging stations take about 30 minutes.

• Range. Hydrogen vehicles get an impressive range of nearly 300 miles whereas the median range for EVs is 114 miles. However, certain EV models do match hydrogen vehicles for range, such as the Tesla, which delivers up to 335 miles before needing to be recharged.

While it’s too soon to tell whether the hydrogen vehicle or electric vehicle is the car of tomorrow—or whether they’ll share the title—either way, the future is looking greener.