Which Fuel Cell Cars Can You Buy Today . . . and Which Will Be Available Soon in Your Part of the Country?
We are writing today about fuel cell cars for a very simple reason . . .
The fuel cells that are found in hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars contain platinum, and could become an important source of platinum for smart investors in platinum scrap
Yet currently, only two fuel cell-powered passenger cars are available for sale in the United States:
The Toyota Mirai, newly restyled and revamped for model year 2022, is currently being leased only in California and Hawaii
The Honda Clarity, another modernistic sedan, is also available for leasing in California and Hawaii
But do note that fuel cell-powered buses and fleets of cars are in use in many cities around the country. As the size of these fleets increases, they could become a more important source of reclaimed platinum scrap.
Why Are These Cars Available in Only those Locations?
Currently, only those parts of the country are home to fueling stations that are equipped to pump hydrogen to fill the tanks of fuel cell vehicles. These highly advanced vehicles will only start to be sold and leased in other regions when hydrogen becomes available for sale at fueling stations. It’s a problem of infrastructure and supply.
It is a situation that is progressing in the same way that the popularity of electric vehicles increased. Until people were able to charge their electric cars at a large number of well-distributed charging locations, the use of electric vehicles could only increase at a certain pace.
In addition, several factors are limiting the public’s demand for fuel cell vehicles. One, again, is the lack of available hydrogen for filling in different parts of the country. Another is a certain lack of knowledge of just what fuel cell cars are. (A lot of people have them confused with electric cars, which they are not, even though hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity that is used to power the vehicles.) Still, another factor is that some consumers are worried about the safety of driving around in cars that have internal tanks filled with volatile hydrogen, which is stored in them under high pressure. Yet at present, there are no real indications that hydrogen-fueled cars are less safe than familiar gasoline-powered models. So the perception that driving a hydrogen-powered car is more dangerous than driving an older petroleum-powered car will probably fade as the public becomes more familiar with cars that are powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
So, When Will Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Cars Arrive at a Dealer Near You?
Not soon, unless you live in California or Hawaii.
But we also know that electric cars, which were also unfamiliar to most U.S. drivers only a decade or so ago, are moving into the mainstream. If the demand for fuel cell cars increases in the coming decade – along with the availability of hydrogen at filling stations – fuel cell cars could soon become as common as Teslas, Nissan Leafs, and other of today’s popular electric models.
If that indeed does happen, look for hydrogen-powered cars to become an increasingly viable source of platinum scrap.
If you have platinum scrap today that you would like to recycle profitably, give our precious metal consultants a call at 800-426-2344.
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