Hybrids damage the development of fuel cell cars

Writing in the International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, the research team criticises the "misinformed craze for hybrid vehicles, especially in the USA.” They say that the popularity of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) could hinder the development of fuel-cell cars powered by sustainably sourced fuels, such as hydrogen.

The team is led by Jean-Jacques Chanaron, research director at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and Julius Teske, from the Grenoble School of Management.

Customer perception
According to Chanaron and Teske, "there is a general convergence of strategies towards promoting hybrid vehicles as the mid-term solution to very low-emission and high-mileage vehicles. Such a convergence is based more on customer perception triggered by very clever marketing and communication campaigns, than on purely rational scientific arguments.” This “may result in the need for any manufacturer operating in the USA to have a hybrid electric vehicle in its model range in order to survive.

"The researchers have analysed the spread of HEV technology, including the non-financial motives for its popularity. They point out that most manufacturers are rapidly integrating HEVs into their range, despite the absence of significant profitability.

Exaggerated
Chanaron and Teske may have a valid basic point, but seem to have exaggerated their argument. The popularity of HEVs could confuse consumers about the scale of the climate challenge battle, but it is unlikely to distract the R&D experts working on new transport technologies. Indeed, Toyota, the market-leading HEV manufacturer, is also pioneering research into and development of hydrogen vehicles – so clearly no distractions there.

Moreover, the criticisms of HEVs and the suggestion that hydrogen is a sustainable alternative seem to overlook certain facts:

• there are no widely available hydrogen cars on the market,
• there isn’t the necessary infrastructure to support widespread use of hydrogen in transport

and, perhaps most importantly

• hydrogen itself is a far from sustainably sourced fuel. Most hydrogen is currently produced from fossil fuel sources and shipped around the world in bottles or tankers. Nothing sustainable about that.

In short, HEVs are a valuable attempt at reducing emissions in the short to medium term.