Hydrogen vehicle

Hydrogen vehicle is a vehicle that is fueled by hydrogen. Mostly, it is powered by a fuel cell that generates electricity through chemical redox reactions using oxygen from the air and compressed hydrogen. But less commonly, they generate power by burning hydrogen in an internal combustion engine. Hydrogen as a fuel is a good alternative to fossil fuel because when burned, only water and heat is generated.

Hydrogen vehicles include cars, buses, forklifts, and trams. Also, many large rockets use liquid hydrogen as fuel, because it has high effective exhaust velocity and energy density. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are a good alternative for combustion engines for indoor applications as well as for use in locations with low temperatures. That is because the emission has no effect on the air quality and low-temperature degrees do not affect their performance. This is why forklifts powered by fuel cells are quite often used in refrigerated warehouses.

There were times when hydrogen vehicles appeared to be the next big thing. But the rise of battery-powered electric vehicles quickly changed that. One of the problems is that fueling these vehicles requires an infrastructure of hydrogen fueling stations. In the United States, there were about 54 public retail hydrogen stations in 2024.

In addition, hydrogen is still mainly produced from fossil fuels, typically through a process called steam methane reforming. This means that many of the environmental issues associated with the use of fossil fuels remain, even though hydrogen vehicles themselves produce zero tailpipe emissions. Furthermore, the production of fuel cells remains relatively expensive, partly due to the use of platinum catalysts.

As of 2025, two hydrogen fuel-cell passenger cars remain widely available: the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai Nexo. Honda has also introduced the CR-V e:FCEV, a plug-in fuel-cell model available in limited markets. Several other manufacturers, including BMW and Land Rover, are continuing to develop hydrogen-powered vehicles, with BMW planning to launch a series-production model around 2028.