GRA said:
TonyWilliams said:
OK so I have read those plans and as always I'm doubtful that H2 will reach anything even close to four dollars per KG.
But, as long as there is a metric to be met there will be no shortage of taxpayer dollars thrown at it. We just have to suspend the normal economic pricing and believe that the taxpayer can make this all happen.
I'm a bit shocked that these government agencies are not working their tails off to bring the cost of electricity down? I wonder why that doesn't appear to be an issue?
Perhaps because they're all continuing to subsidize EV charging stations, like the recent decision of the state to complete the West Coast Electric Highway here, or any number of other causes deemed worthy of government funding.
The hundred million dollar funding for hydrogen infrastructure blows away anything the state of California is doing for electric vehicles by a very large margin, and that doesn't count all the money that was previously spent for hydrogen.
The funding for the West Coast Electric Highway does nothing to the cost of electricity... for the most part, electricity cost isn't a problem at all. Conversely, hydrogen cars need both a grossly expensive infrastructure and a grossly expensive annual cost just to maintain that infrastructure, in addition to a breathtaking reduction in cost of the actual commodity which is hydrogen. To maintain a typical DC charger might require blowing dirt out of it, maybe changing some fans or air cleaners, or swapping out the charge cable or plug after it gets broken. Costs that are typically in the hundreds to maybe one thousand or so dollars.
Electric vehicle DC charging infrastructure is an order of magnitude cheaper to install, to maintain and to power the vehicle. It would probably be pointless to debate with you about the literally tens of thousands of electric powered vehicles on the road in California versus the dozens to maybe 100 hydrogen cars might be a "thing". It's nearly criminal to spend $100 million for hydrogen when we already have so many Electric Vehicles without proper and complete infrastructure.
So, as is so frequently the case, your statement has no merit. The cost of electricity doesn't have to come down in order for electric vehicles to be competitive. The state of California doesn't need to subsidize it. The auto manufacturers don't need to subsidize it, Hydrogen, however, needs a breathtaking freefall of cost that is just not going to happen except in the minds for the starry eyed dreamers like you.
All of that is not to suggest that DC charging doesn't have significant challenges and cost issues. Those issues just look pathetically small in comparison to anything with hydrogen in its name.
Let me know if you ever see a DC charger blowup, like hydrogen can , mmmm kay? It seems even the people that install that hydrogen stuff think it's dangerous:
"Linde, which was supposed to build the station (near SFO airport), "rejected airport officials' demand to accept full legal responsibility for any mishaps on the wedge-shaped site near Millbrae Avenue," writes the Mercury News."
I wonder why? I thought you said hydrogen was safe ? What could possibly be the concern ? Certainly every DC charger installed has somebody who is responsible for it and will accept responsibility for any mishaps. It's odd that the hydrogen folks don't seem to think that way.
Oh well, I'm sure we'll just keep spending money... no big deal.