Last Updated 2 years ago
For many Americans, the time it takes to charge the batteries of an electric vehicle is a drawback. Even if you use a Fast Charger, it can take up to 1 hour to charge an EV from empty to full. While with other types of chargers, you may have to wait up to 10 hours or more.
This is a problem because we all know that filling up the gas tank of a normal car only takes 3 minutes. But what if I tell you that there is a type of electric car that you can fill up as quickly as 5 minutes?
Imagine having a car with the benefits of an electric vehicle such as a smooth, quiet ride and zero emissions but with the convenience of refueling it as fast as filling up a gas tank.
Well, something like that is now available in the U.S. and is called Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles, or hydrogen cars for short.
These types of cars are not very popular yet. In fact, there are only two models with this technology readily available in the U.S. and they offer surprising value for your money.
Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Cars: How Do They Work?
The U.S. Department of Energy also calls these vehicles Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles or FCEVs because they use hydrogen to generate electricity.
The hydrogen is stored in the tank and travels to a fuel-cell stack to produce electricity that powers an electric motor or gets stored in batteries for future use.
What Models You Can Get In The U.S.?
There are 2 models available for purchase right now.
One option is the Toyota Mirai…
Toyota has given us the best-selling sedan in the U.S. and the best-selling SUV. So, we’re familiar with the quality that the Japanese automaker offers in its vehicles.
The 2024 Toyota Mirai has 402 miles of driving range, as estimated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Toyota says that to charge this car, it’s just like filling up a gasoline car. You only have to take the car to a Hydrogen Fueling Station, grab the nozzle, and stick it in. In about 5 minutes your car will fill up – Easy peasy.
Additionally, Toyota is making filling up the Mirai even easier. Looking at Toyota’s website, the Mirai comes with a $15,000 fuel credit or 6 years to refill your tank, whichever comes first. Just make sure that you live close to one of the only 59 Hydrogen Fueling Stations in the country.
Nonetheless, if you are not a fan of Toyota or would like something bigger, here is another available option. The South Korean company, Hyundai has a hydrogen-powered SUV: The Nexo Fuel Cell.
The Nexo has up to 380 miles of driving range. Yes, the driving range is above the average EV in the market, but what is even more impressive is that you can get that driving range in just 5 minutes of refuel!
And you might be wondering what Hyundai is doing to compete with the Toyota Mirai? The answer: they are doing exactly the same. Hyundai is also offering eager buyers hydrogen fueling cards worth $15,000 to be used in the first 6 years of ownership. This goes down to only 3 years if you decide to lease the Nexo.
How Do Fuel-Cell EVs Compare With Electric Vehicles?
Let’s run the numbers. The 2024 Toyota Mirai XLE shows a starting price of $50,190 with a driving range of 408 miles.
Now, let’s look at other sedans with 5 seats but all electric with similar driving ranges:
- 2024 Tesla Model S is currently shown on Tesla’s website with a starting price of $74,990 and 405 miles – That is almost $20k more for the same driving range of the Toyota Mirai
- The 2024 Lucid Air Pure RWD shows a starting price of $69,999 and offers an estimated driving range of 419 miles – 10 more miles in driving range for $20k more!
As we can see, the Toyota Mirai offers a great driving range for less money.
Now let’s look at the 2023 Hyundai Nexo, which is the latest model. The starting price is $60,135 with a 380-mile driving range.
Here are 2 similar SUVs with 5 seats but all electric:
- The 2023 Fisker Ocean Extreme has a starting price of $61,499 and offers a driving range of 360 miles – Only a 20-mile difference in driving range but a similar price.
- The 2023 Rivian R1S Dual Motor AWD has a starting price of $98,300 with a driving range of 380 miles – Although the driving range is the same, it is 60% more expensive than the Nexo.
Comparing cost and driving range, the Hydrogen Fuel models offer a great performance for a lower cost than getting an all-electric vehicle.
Of course, there are features that we did not take into account in this comparison that each person would find important to have like the luxury design of Lucid or the latest technology in a Tesla.
To Recap
- The Hydrogen Fuel-Cell vehicles use hydrogen to power an electric engine.
- Toyota and Hyundai offer Hydrogen Cars with surprisingly high driving ranges cheaper than all-electric cars with similar driving ranges.
- Carmakers are currently offering $15,000 or 6 years in fuel credit when purchasing a new FCEV.
- Hydrogen Fuel-Cell vehicles only take 5 minutes to fill up the tank.
- There are currently only 59 Hydrogen Fueling Stations in the U.S.
What do you think? Will you buy a Hydrogen car despite the limited number of Hydrogen stations available in the country?