Pure electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly than hydrogen fuel. What do German researchers say?

A new study shows that pure electric vehicles outperform hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in terms of reducing emissions. The study, published in the journal Energy, says that in addition to providing a more environmentally friendly mode of transportation, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles do not provide users with more energy advantages. Markus Felgenhauer, a doctoral candidate at the Technical University of Munich in Germany and the lead author of the study, said the study investigated energy use in communities that have adopted electric vehicles on a large scale.

"We found that pure electric vehicles are a more economical option for reducing CO2 emissions because they are cheaper and more energy efficient," said Felgenhauer. There are two main types of electric vehicles: pure electric vehicles with rechargeable batteries and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that convert hydrogen into clean electricity. Both pure electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles emit zero CO2 when in operation. But in order to charge or refuel both types of vehicles on a large scale, expensive infrastructure is usually required.

Policymakers are also trying to figure out which type of vehicle, pure electric vehicles or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, can achieve the best emission reduction effect at the lowest cost. Sally Benson, a professor at Stanford University in the United States, said: "Such research will become very important if the deep decarbonization of the global energy system is to achieve the best effect at the lowest cost." In this study, researchers compared which pure electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will have lower costs in the future.

Felgenhauer said that in terms of total cost, pure electric vehicles perform better than hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in reducing emissions. In order to have a better advantage in the competition, the cost of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is usually lower than that of pure electric vehicles, but in the long run, the cost of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will be much higher than that of pure electric vehicles.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.