Adoption of Hydrogen-Powered Cars in Hong Kong and a Look at 4 Models

The 2024 Paris Olympics claims to cut carbon emissions by 50% compared to the 2012 London Olympics. In addition to providing vegan meals for athletes and not using air conditioning in the athletes' village, the event has adopted Toyota's zero-emission hydrogen-powered vehicle (also called hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle or HFCV), the Mirai, as the official vehicle of the games. However, some scholars have pointed out that current HFCVs are not actually eco-friendly. Who is right? In this Kwiksure article, we explain the role of HFCVs at the Paris Olympics, and the adoption of such vehicles in Hong Kong.

Low Carbon Olympics

To achieve carbon emissions reduction goals, the Paris Olympics use 500 Mirai HFCVs provided by Toyota as Olympic vehicles, transporting athletes, staff, volunteers and others from various countries during the Olympics and Paralympics. In addition to the Mirai, Toyota has also deployed its most eco-friendly low-carbon models, including pure electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrids, and hybrids. After the Olympics, the Mirai cars will be transformed into a hydrogen-powered taxi fleet in Paris.

However, not long ago 120 scientists, engineers, and scholars from universities such as Cambridge and Oxford issued a public appeal calling upon the Paris Olympics to withdraw the Mirai as the official vehicle of the Games. The reason is that currently, as much as 96% of the hydrogen used is produced from fossil fuels such as methane, which also produce huge quantities of carbon emissions in the conversion process, making it even less eco-friendly than EVs. However, Toyota stated that the hydrogen fuel used at the Paris Olympics is derived from renewable sources such as water and organic materials.

What are Hydrogen-powered Vehicles?

Hydrogen is a chemical element and a component in many natural compounds, including water. Many people believe that hydrogen-powered cars use hydrogen gas as a gasoline replacement. However, this is an oversimplification.

In a hydrogen-powered car, the hydrogen gas stored in the storage tank is transported to the fuel cell, where it reacts chemically with the battery to produce electricity, which powers the motor to drive the car–thus the name ‘hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles’ or HFCVs. HFCVs combine the characteristics of traditional gasoline cars and electric cars. You can think of the hydrogen as gasoline and the fuel cell as the engine cylinders, with their combination producing the electrical power that drives the motor.

In the process, only water and heat are produced, without generating polluting gasses or substances the way gasoline cars do. Moreover, a few minutes’ worth of refueling is enough to power the vehicle for hundreds of kilometers. All these make hydrogen the most eco-friendly and feasible vehicle fuel.

Shortcomings of Hydrogen as a Fuel

Hydrogen gas is corrosive and highly flammable, and this makes its transportation difficult and costly, resulting in a very slow rate of increase in the number of refueling stations. Based on data from Taiwan’s Automotive Research and Testing Center, as of the end of 2023, there were only 921 hydrogen refueling stations globally, and they were mainly found in Germany, South Korea, and Japan. Furthermore, since their production is small in scale and involves manual steps, hydrogen fuel cells are costly to manufacture. Yet another crucial aspect is the hydrogen storage tank, which takes up a significant amount of space. For vehicles with relatively limited space, that can be another challenge.

Introducing 4 Hydrogen-powered Vehicles

Toyota Mirai

Since the launch of the first generation in 2014, Toyota has been actively developing hydrogen-powered vehicles and introduced the second-generation Mirai in 2020. The new generation uses the TNGA-L platform, and produces 182 ps of power and 300 Nm of torque. The car has 3 hydrogen storage tanks for a total volume of 141 liters, which is good for a maximum range of about 650 km. The refueling can be completed in 5 minutes. It is worth mentioning that in August 2022, Toyota managed to pull 1,360 km from just one tank of hydrogen, setting a Guinness World Record.

Hyundai Nexo

Following the ix35 and Tucson, Nexo is Hyundai's third HFCV, continuing the SUV style tradition. The Nexo has a maximum power of 161 ps and maximum torque of 395 Nm. The car has a fuel storage capacity of 156 liters and a range of about 611 km. In terms of equipment, the car features a digital instrument panel, blind-spot image display, central screen, and more, which make the car quite advanced for a product introduced in 2018. The manufacturer has also announced that a new generation Nexo will be unveiled next year, which we expect will offer even more features and even better performance.

Honda CR-V e:FCEV

Honda officially announced its first hydrogen-powered vehicle, the CR-V e:FCEV, earlier this year. The new car is based on the 6th generation CR-V, and is the first model in the North American market to combine hydrogen fuel cells and plug-in hybrid technology. The new car was introduced in the market in July via a leasing program. The CR-V e:FCEV has a single motor module on the front axle, providing a maximum power of 176 ps and 311 Nm in peak torque. Developed in collaboration with General Motors, the fuel cell can provide a range of up to 600 km.

BMW iX5 HYDROGEN

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen uses the 5th generation eDrive electric drive system with a fuel cell developed in collaboration with Toyota. It boasts a maximum power of 406 ps, with the manufacturer claiming a 0 to 100 km/h time of less than 6 seconds. Although the iX5 Hydrogen has been exhibited and test-driven around the world, and the first batch of 100 units have been sold to select customers, the manufacturer has stated that they will not go ahead with mass production just yet. The iX5 HYDROGEN is expected to enter mass production in 2026 at the earliest.

Adoption of Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles in Hong Kong

In June 2024, the Hong Kong government announced the ‘Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong,’ focusing mainly on the commercial applications of hydrogen energy. This includes the introduction of the first hydrogen fuel-cell double-decker bus (Citybus route 20) earlier this year, and plans to test 3 hydrogen fuel-cell street sweepers by the end of the year. Other trial projects include bus companies building hydrogen refueling stations at depots, and MTR testing hydrogen-powered trains. Moreover, Hong Kong’s first public hydrogen refueling station is expected to open in Yuen Long by the end of this year. Even though HFCVs are not yet available for sale locally, this signals we can expect to see these vehicles to be introduced in the near future.

Common Questions

Q: How do hydrogen-powered vehicles work?

A: In a hydrogen-powered car, the hydrogen gas stored in the storage tank is transported to the fuel cell, where it reacts chemically with the battery to produce electricity, which powers the motor to drive the car.

Q: Are hydrogen-powered vehicles in use in Hong Kong?

A: In early 2024, Hong Kong’s first hydrogen fuel-cell double-decker bus (Citybus route 20) entered service, and there are plans to test 3 hydrogen fuel-cell street sweepers by the end of the year.