Hydrogen Isn't Close To Being A Zero-Emissions Fuel Just Yet

Earlier this year, a global thematic research firm said that every electric vehicle leaves the factory with a lotmore embedded carbonthan an equivalent ICE vehicle. Put simply, the EV production process releases more carbon which directly clashes with the greater goal of producing a zero-emission car. In some cases, you'll have to covertens of thousands of milesin yourTesla Model 3在之前就变得不那么有害vironment than a similar ICE car. That's why a number of manufacturers are pushing towards carbon neutrality in their production processes by powering their factories with solar energy and making sure the supply chain is green.

This uncomfortable truth about carbon emissions during production now applies to supposedly green hydrogen-powered vehicles too, according to new research that exposes the damaging impact of producing hydrogen using specific methods.

There aren't many new vehicles that use hydrogen fuel cell technology, but new models like the Hyundai Nexo andToyota Miraisuccessfully combine the quick refueling times of ICE cars with the zero-emissions of normal EVs - at least in theory. But a new peer-reviewed study published in the Energy Science & Engineering journal points to a worrying amount of carbon dioxide being released when hydrogen is extracted from natural gas, the main method of production used in the US.

Known as "blue hydrogen", this process also releases methane, a damaging greenhouse gas. The researchers found that blue hydrogen has a 20 percent larger greenhouse gas footprint relative to burning natural gas or coal. It was assumed that 3.5% of gas drilled from the ground leaks into the atmosphere.