

Hydrogen can even be produced from your trash! Pilot projects have used landfill gas and wastewater to make hydrogen fuel. Currently, the majority of hydrogen that is made for use as a fuel comes from natural gas, but hydrogen fuel also can be made from water, oil, coal, and plant material.

The amount of emissions associated with producing hydrogen fuels depends on the source of hydrogen and production method. While hydrogen is abundant in the universe, it must be separated from other compounds to be used as fuel. Emissions are created in the process of producing and transporting hydrogen fuel. Like electric vehicles, FCVs are zero-emission vehicles – they have no smog-related or greenhouse gas tailpipe emissions. See where hydrogen fueling stations are located in the U.S. There are plans to expand FCV offerings over the next few years as infrastructure grows and the technology continues to mature. Hydrogen infrastructure is also popping up in other locations around the country. Stations are being planned or built in the Northeast and Hawaii, and fuel cell transit buses are already cruising the streets in cities like Boston, Massachusetts, and Flint, Michigan. Several auto manufacturers are selling or leasing FCVs in select markets, primarily in California where some hydrogen fueling stations already exist. However, while EVs run on batteries that must be plugged in to recharge, FCVs generate their electricity onboard. In a fuel cell, hydrogen (H 2) gas from the vehicle’s fuel tank combines with oxygen (O 2) from the air to generate electricity with only water and heat as byproducts of the process. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs) are similar to electric vehicles (EVs) in that they use an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine to power the wheels.
