London cleans up the air using hydrogen buses
Are hydrogen buses the best way to clean up a city's air? Londoners might someday have some kind of answer to that question because the city government is investing a lot of money in hydrogen-powered vehicles, with the iconic red double-decker buses some of the first to be run on the new technology. The first three hydrogen buses are on the RV1 route, according to the Guardian UK, and look just like standard buses except for a sticker noting the power source. Oh, and they sound, "barely louder than a milk float" according to the paper. A dozen buses will soon be converted and become the cities hydrogen test fleet. If all goes well, the entire fleet could switch in about ten years.
More details and a debate on whether this conversion is actually a good idea at the link.
[Source: Guardian UK]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Howard Lee Harkness 9:34AM (8/09/2006)
This just shifts the smog from London to elsewhere, as almost all commercial hydrogen is currently manufactured from reduction of methane. This causes 1) a net increase in greenhouse gas production, and 2) a net increase in the amount of energy used to propel buses, and 3) a huge increase in overall cost.
And that's just part of the problem. Due to hydrogen embrittlement, these buses will require major overhauls in only a few years. Of course, being a government program, there will be a "catastrophic failure" required before any major overhaul program is started. Yet another good reason to stay away from London.
The use of hydrogen for this purpose is beyond stupid. It's about the only "alternative fuel" dumber than ethanol. The only way something like this can happen is with a combination of massive government subsidies and a Politically Correct disinformation campaign.
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S.M.Mehdi Hassan 3:09PM (8/10/2006)
"This causes 1) a net increase in greenhouse gas production, and 2) a net increase in the amount of energy used to propel buses, and 3) a huge increase in overall cost." I agree with Howard Lee Harkens.
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