Putting hydrogen vehicles on widespread use on the East Coast eroded even Strizki’s talent for invention. On the West Coast, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former governor of California, who owns a hydrogen Hummer, overcame regulatory barriers with a pen stroke in 2004. The East has a series of bureaucracies to navigate. For example, hydrogen is not allowed to travel through bridges and tunnels. “We would not like to launch a vehicle that you could not drive in Manhattan,” said Gil Castillo, who follows the regulations of Hyundai Motor North America.
In addition, Air Liquide, a gas maker, has quietly built five ready-to-use stations between Hempstead, NY, and Littleton, Massachusetts, have to deal with state and city officials until the fireman, said David Edwards, director of the hydrogen from Air Liquide in the United States. “Each location has its own fireman.”
Progress is hindered by the impression that hydrogen is likely to explode, an idea cemented by the burning of the Hindenburg in 1937. More recently, hydrogen suffered a blow when Nikola, a maker of hydrogen electric trucks and a stock market darling, claimed there was exaggerated their achievements. The charge came from a short sales firm called Hindenburg Research. The Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission issued subpoenas to Nikola.
“Hydrogen is somewhat safer than gasoline,” said JoAnn Milliken, director of the New Jersey Fuel Cell Coalition, a group of volunteers who had known Strizki since his time at the Department of Energy. She cited a 2019 study by Sandia National Laboratories that found that a hydrogen car presents no more risk of fire than a conventional vehicle.
Since Elon Musk called the fuel cells “incredibly dumb, ”There has been a fierce rivalry between lithium-ion and hydrogen supporters. The cooler heads see a place for each. Electric is suitable for people with a garage, who travel limited distances and can charge at night. But for long haul trucks, hydrogen doesn’t add weight or reduce cargo space the way batteries do. In addition, hydrogen tanks can be refilled in minutes.