Hydrogen Car Conversion
Hydrogen fuel burns up to eight times more efficiently than petroleum and there are hydrogen cars which are now for sale to the general public so the concept isn’t just a dream anymore. Unfortunately most hydrogen cars are really expensive and out of reach of many car consumers. If you can’t afford something in the 150K price range than a conversion is probably your best bet. Hydrogen is efficient and it’s eco friendly, two great reasons to consider a hydrogen car conversion, particularly for drivers of high burning trucks or SUV type vehicles, looking for a more economical alternative to petrol.
Car Conversion Companies & the Costs of Hydrogen Conversion
So what if a person wants to legitimately undertake a hydrogen car conversion – what are the steps and legalities involved? In the United States there are two major, specialized hydrogen car conversion companies; Quantum Technologies and Intergalactic Hydrogen with prices ranging from $30-60 000 depending on the type of engine being converted. That price should come down significantly as soon as a major corporate comes on board to offer the service on a mass scale and there are several companies with the idea on the table at present.
On first site hydrogen car conversion prices seem high but it isn’t so bad if you take into account the cost of fuel savings on an annual basis, this is particularly true for larger vehicles of course. If you run a truck for business purposes the annual savings could be quite profound. Another cost advantage of switching is that in many states rebates up to 50% to a maximum of $50 000 are available by way of government incentives, which significantly reduces the cost of converting. This is one of a raft of tax credits and incentives being offered by state governments to consumers interested in converting to hydrogen or purchasing hydrogen vehicles.
Hydrogen Alternatives to Conversion
It is perfectly legal in the U.S for a person to convert a vehicle to hydrogen. If converting your own vehicle seems too cumbersome or costly there are other options. Project Driveway which will let you test drive a hydrogen vehicle for free for several months or; Honda has a program called Clarity which leases hydrogen fuel cell cars for approximately $600 per month, which isn’t bad since you may not have to pay anything for the fuel. It turns out that while hydrogen fuel is in the developmental roll out stages the cost at the pumps is nil. That’s right, for now at least the fuel is free! There are currently 68 fuelling stations operating in the United States and another 37 in the works.
The Pro’s and Con’s of Home Conversion
You’ve researched the various hydrogen car conversion companies and you have decided you have the smarts and the inclination to do-it-yourself, so where do you begin and what are the legal technicalities? The legal part of it isn’t as complicated as you might think, in fact the same rules apply as exist for any home built car; it has to pass basic safety standards and prove to be road worthy according to the regulations in your state. The costs are significantly less than if you were to take the car to a hydrogen conversion company, but how much less depends on the system installed to extract the hydrogen and the government incentives you might forego.
Traditional home hydrogen car conversions from petrol usually involve the installation of a hybrid kit which will continue to rely on petrol but to a much lesser extent. The favored contemporary approach to hydrogen fuel conversion is an engine which uses water to produce hydrogen on demand; hydrogen and oxygen is generated from distilled water in real time. In layman’s terms, electrolysis separates the water into hydrogen and oxygen and the hydrogen is then used to fuel the vehicle. Past concerns about hydrogen storage (it is highly combustible) has been the technology’s biggest setback. Concerns over storage have been allayed with the invention of a variety of safe storage options. Nonetheless, for safety’s sake it would make sense to get some professional help with this aspect of the job if you aren’t absolutely certain of your own ability.
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