I'm a researcher studying how people choose their cars

If you make a very brief web-page on your asu.edu page that could be a good introduction;

Many people here may have considered a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. I certainly would; I converted my old car to LPG (in the UK where a lot of LPG was burnt at the oil rig so it would have been zero emission). I chose a Prius to reduce CO2 emissions, but also because I like the car, the tech, and of course the reliability.

I didn't buy a hydrogen car because of the barriers, including the high pressure (but the new tech that can absorb hydrogen at a low pressure sounds good). Hydrogen ICE engines would have been good except the engine block / pistons would have 'stored' hydrogen and failed. They would still emit NO, burn oil (literally), use engine oil, and so on.

The big issue holding back full electric cars at the moment is range, more specifically compact energy storage. A hydrogen fuel cell powered Nissan Leaf or Tesla etc would be a great car, if the hydrogen was stored at 'low' or low-ish pressure, and the range was increased.

Finally, the hydrogen would have to be generated from renewable energy, otherwise it is best to just use an EV. If they hydrogen was manufactured off-site, you would want hydrogen powered trucks as well!

If there was actually a viable hydrogen fuel cell for automotive applications, it is likely people would also retrofit them to the Prius, also electric cars etc. But only with a hydrogen delivery infrastructure etc.

Personally, I would choose a battery-electric vehicle these days, or a PHEV. Hydrogen is more an energy transfer medium rather, and a fuel-cell car would be an EV with a hydrogen fuel cell. If hydrogen was to be used as a storage medium, it needs a whole infrastructure whereas electricity is already there.

 

I considered it, but the lack of infrastructure was a deciding factor.

In the east Bay Area of California, there were only 2 fueling stations and the fueling time was excessive (something north of 10 minutes).

The cost is also high, so prohibitive for most.

That would be my main feedback for the reasons why not.

 

I’m willing to chat.

But my work schedule is a bit busy these days.

PM me and we’ll see what we can hash out.

 

Did you personally converted the car you talked about to LPG, or it was done by a company in the UK.
I'm kinda curious.

 

I converted it myself; I did however move overseas immediately after the conversion so it has a working kit but I removed the LPG tank; it was an add-on kit so it still runs (or ran) perfectly well on normal petrol.

In the UK, to get the annual government test (without which it is illegal to drive on the road), any LPG installation has to be certified to meet certain standards. The standards are fairly simply, involving diameters of holes, involving ensuring that any leaks from the tank are vented to the outside, keeping LPG lines away from heat sources, and away from damage. Other regulations including shutting off the LPG flow except when power is supplied to a relay etc.

The main issue was that in the UK, the installation had to be 'checked' by a certified LPG inspector. The problem was that it cost a fair amount of money to become a certified inspector. This meant that only companies offering to do the installation would do the inspection. Almost everyone would say 'we won't inspect any work, we only inspect the installations we do'. They charged a HUGE mark-up for the installation compared to DIY. The installation was actually easy to inspect, given there was no fuel pump as LPG was pressurised, a single 'fuel line'. It was much simpler than even basic fuel injection.

I found a company who would inspect it - for a fee, but a reasonable free. However I moved overseas before getting that done!

Note - this is according to 2007 laws. Things have probably changed, become even more regulated since that time!

 

I 'actually considered' buying or leasing a fuel cell vehicle. However : I live in the UK, so not in California. While I considered buying or leasing one, there were actually none for sale. I made a real-world decision - there was no infrastructure, and no vehicles. I looked into doing a DIY fuel cell conversion, but at the time (2006), the only fuel cells were tiny ones for home science kits. I instead converted my car to LPG, then moved overseas, later getting a Prius (and now a Leaf)

 

PM sent.

 

I considered a Murai, especially after learning that the gas station closest to my home and the gas station closest to my office, coincidentally, were both going to become hydrogen filling stations. I contacted Toyota and got on the list to get one, but ultimately decided, among other things, that a lease-only vehicle was not an environmental choice.

 

You should ask Mary Nichols head of CARB why she drives one.
Obviously, not me, but some people like to be beta testers of newer car technologies.
Fuel cells have potential future merit, perhaps not as much in USA.
Mary Nichols needs to have : (1) interest in newer tecnology and (2) thick skin, because the US BEV advocates view fuel cells as crime against humanity.

 

My bad; I tend to do speed-reading in my work (in case this goes before the Court, I will say : I speed-read, then do detailed reading!).... However, it is my bad, as you initially stated - that it was in California!
(do you need a co-researcher? not likely as a Prof, but you never know; I work in forensics, and work in 'psychological medicine' among other things. This might be useful when examining why people do (or don't) decide to change. This may be useful for research but also for trying to stop us destroying our planet!).

 

MarieAnie Thread - I have made a thread to help you - please click on this link and reply to this thread, which is dedicated to helping with your car problem. From what you describe, there could be a few problems. Here on PriusChat, we can probably help you find what is actually wrong, without needing to waste too much money, so you can get your Prius running smoothly again.

Please go to this thread for posts about MarieAnie's car : Prius runs fine when (cold), but low MPG and engine stays on when hot (MarieAnie's thread) | PriusChat

 

There were a ton of reasons why I didn’t buy Mirai:
1) It was very impractical: Expensive, lease-only, and perhaps impossible to drive outside the SF Bay Area.
2) Nothing about the car was exciting: Costly, but not high performance; nor with an exciting interior or exterior. As a car, it had no redeeming qualities, except you paid a lot more money for its hydrogen fuel cell technology.
3) I’d read that many electric car proponents feel that hydrogen is not an environmental choice, because its produce as the by-product or fracking. But I didn’t fully research this claim.
4) It was lease-only. That’s not an environmental choice.

 

My employer bought 4 but at the time it wasn’t the best idea to own one if you lived locally. There was only 1 place you could fill it up. West Sacramento. Now there are 5 but you are kind of limited in where you can drive them.

 

You also missed the part where she doesn’t have to pay for her car. The state pays for it.

 

She still chose Mirai over other cars. California-built Tesla would have been a good choice, but it was prohibitively expensive for civil service at the time.