Hydrogen economy

Will someone please explain in layman's terms what is the hydrogen economy, and what is Ahnold supposed to do to make his Hummer hydrogen powered? I guess I was sleeping during HS chemistry, and it was about a hundred years ago anyway, so I would have forgotten.

Also, does that NPR underwriter the hypes about powering the hydrogen economy think that anyone understands what that means?

its one based on the processing and utilization of Hydrogen as fuel. Instead of gas stations we would have Hydrogen stations. Ahnold is talking out his ass---without the feds dumping a bunch of money into R & D and infrastructure---much like a "Manhatten Project" it probably won't happen anytime soon.

combines with oxygen (from the air) to form water and produce energy, so as a fuel it is clean. However it also requires (or at least works best and cleanest using) fuel cells, for which low cost technology is a long way off. (The demo cars cost 7 figures.)

Moreover hydrogen is not easily obtainable, requiring power and a source to produce. The sources talked about are oil, gas, and coal. So basically we shift the pollution to the producing areas.

Hydrogen has long term potential but it works best using fusion (potentially clean and basically limitless power) and water cracking technologies to produce it (which makes a circular process --- energy/water in -- energy/water out). However if the powers that be point this out, people might think about the disgraceful lack of work on fusion technology.

Hydrogen has other problems like explosion risk and the problem of storing enough to get good range. In short it is scam at least for the near term. It is also away of turning people's attention away from electric cars for which the technology has greatly improved to the point of practicality and for which some infrastructure is already in place and more easily added. Combine electric cars with improved (home) solar and the oil, gas and coal companies (who would control hydrogen) are in real trouble. So we can forget about this route.

First, how do you get hydrogen?

Well you can get it from oil wells, but that still has the same problem as gasoline. Or you can make it. Part of the problem is that it takes more energy to make it then you get back from burning it. So using diesel fueled plants to make hydrogen to burn in your car is senseless. Perhaps using a renewable energy resourse to make the hydrogen would make more sense.

Second, how do you store it?

Hydrogen is a gas. It will have to be stored under high pressures in order to be used as a fuel. It is also highly flammable and explosive. That's not something you want when you get in a wreck.

One guy in Brazil once invented a car that ran completely on pressurized air. I shit you not, this isn't some water car conspiracy theory. The engine itself was fine, the reason nobody will ever see it is because it's a safety hazard. That much pressurized air should never be allowed in traffic.