And due to the inefficiency of the components, it is a very bad battery. That is the main problem, as attractive it would be to produce hydrogen via solar.
But wait, a "tall, rangy, blond, inveterate maker and builder whose eyes light up when he talks engineering" claims he's solved all efficiency and and storage problems with super-secret technology. Incidentally, he's also the CEO of the company and probably paying for the piece:
>To date, most hydride fluids have been less energy dense than compressed hydrogen, and far short of fossil fuels. They weigh too much for the energy they provide. Johnson thinks he’s cracked both problems. He won’t reveal the details of the hydrides involved, but he’s got the power-to-weight ratio high enough to beat lithium-ion batteries (which are very heavy) and the hydride bond weak enough that it can be broken using only the redirected waste heat from the engine (no added heat or pressure required).
I'm curious about his early career in video compression.
I'm thinking of a friend whose first job was working with a video compression startup whose secret algorithm was to hide ethernet cables inside the power cord.
I think we should be skeptical. That said there are some points in the article that indicate there may something more than fluff. Let the early adopters try some retrofits themselves and we shall see whether the results are there related to battery performance.
>To date, most hydride fluids have been less energy dense than compressed hydrogen, and far short of fossil fuels. They weigh too much for the energy they provide. Johnson thinks he’s cracked both problems. He won’t reveal the details of the hydrides involved, but he’s got the power-to-weight ratio high enough to beat lithium-ion batteries (which are very heavy) and the hydride bond weak enough that it can be broken using only the redirected waste heat from the engine (no added heat or pressure required).