[Qwertious]

Not really - hydrogen shoots straight up into the atmosphere, whereas petrol both pools in the area and also turns to gas and mixes with air quite easily (which is why it's used as a fuel in the first place)

In practice, hydrogen cars are quite safe. They're just not worth the cost in infrastructure and lack of efficiency compared to BEVs.

[GravitasFailure]

It also depends on storage method. Cryogenic and compressed hydrogen have extreme risks completely unrelated to the flammability of the gas itself, while various metal hydride options are mostly a danger if you drop the tank on your foot.

[bell-cot]

> ...hydrogen shoots straight up into the atmosphere...

Two words: Attached Garage

[mattashii]

> They're just not worth the cost in infrastructure and lack of efficiency compared to BEVs.

Don't BEVs weigh more than hydrogen cars, given the same model and range? That would give at least some incentive to use hydrogen over BEV, as it decreases road wear, which reduces the costs associated with the operation of that car.

Additionally, hydrogen cars could be considered safer once they've gotten into an accident, as risk of battery thermal runaway wouldn't usually be an issue for extended periods of time in hydrogen cars, whereas several car carrier ships have been lost due (in part or in full) to battery fires.

[zdragnar]

Even if car registration was taxed completely commensurate with their road wear (i.e. weight) the difference wouldn't be enough to move people over from BEV given the lack of refilling options.

Gas still has the infrastructure, but batteries are closer to having what they need than hydrogen for critical adoption.

Unless you're in the upper Midwest and your car is one of those stuck at a charger unable to fast charge because it's too cold and you didn't have an hours worth of time and energy to preheat it.

[spookie]

> Unless you're in the upper Midwest and your car is one of those stuck at a charger unable to fast charge because it's too cold and you didn't have an hours worth of time and energy to preheat it.

You also have the problem where it is "too hot". Higher battery wear and all. Part of me feels the BEV revolution only considered half the northern hemisphere.

[infecto]

Tons of EVs on the roads in Texas. I realize there can be hotter places (Death Valley) or more humid but certainly if you can drive an BEV in the height of Texas summer that should fit more of the worlds use cases.

I think cold is a harder problem to solve, I think your delta T of environment temps and operating temps are much greater in cold weather.

[someguydave]

Exactly. People freaking out over EV infrastructure haven't done the math - nearly all first world home electric hookups are fine for charging a couple of EVs