Readers React: Don’t buy the fuel-cell hype -- electric cars hold the most promise

To the editor: I have been driving electric cars for 24 years, and contrary to what a Toyota Motor Corp. official said, I am knocking on the company’s door for another one. (“Carmakers prepare to shift to hydrogen fuel cells,” Oct. 26)

Here is why I am not knocking on anyone’s door for a hydrogen vehicle: Why build hydrogen fuel stations (at $2 million a pop) when there are already millions of “energy stations” for electric vehicles — that is, the electric outlets in our houses and buildings? Answer: because Big Oil does not want consumers to control the energy source. Also, it takes electricity to make hydrogen fuel, which is less efficient than simply putting the power directly into a battery-powered electric car.

Your article states that “sales of battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are up 30% this year over 2013.” That seems like demand to me.

Alexandra Paul, Pacific Palisades

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To the editor: I don’t want to disparage fuel cell cars, but there is one consideration missing from the article that readers should be aware of: Hydrogen is not a fuel. You cannot pump it from or dig it out of the ground, and it doesn’t grow on trees; it must be manufactured.

Hydrogen is a means of storing energy, just like a battery. It does have advantages, as mentioned in the article, but unless we change our attitude about nuclear energy, we may end up burning coal to generate hydrogen for fuel cell cars.

Since the electrical infrastructure already exists, battery-powered cars have a better chance of success in the short term.

Gordon Rudd, Laguna Beach

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