Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by bastawhiz 116 days ago
Onboard reforming has been explored and it's not great. The end-to-end efficiency is poor (<50%). It adds a ton of complexity. It requires having a reactor running at over 700°C. It takes time to warm up. It's not cleaner. Impurities like sulfur kill it.

In the end it's only about as efficient as just using a regular diesel engine, much harder to service, more expensive to maintain, and doesn't improve your carbon footprint at all. What's the point?