Opinion: Want to reduce emissions without reinventing the wheel? Hydrogen engines are the answer

Electric cars are all the rage – or so we’re told. But despite the fanfare, only one in 10 new car buyers in the UK opted for a battery electric vehicle (BEV) in 2024.

That’s not exactly a stampede toward a battery-powered utopia. People clearly aren’t sold on the idea, and here’s the thing: you can’t force them to be, either.

So if you want to reduce emissions way more quickly, why not consider hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles as the pragmatic middle ground?

Keeping familiarity while slashing emissions

Hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) cars offer an intriguing proposition: they use existing engines with minimal modifications.

After a century of perfecting the internal combustion engine, why toss it out? The engine isn’t the problem – it’s the fuel.

So why not ditch petrol and diesel and switch to green hydrogen?

This approach keeps established parts supply chains intact, saving thousands of jobs and businesses in an increasingly cash-strapped and uncertain world.

The shift doesn’t require retraining mechanics from scratch or reinventing the wheel for automakers – just tweaking it.

Are hydrogen engines clean?

Hydrogen engines have a unique advantage: they burn efficiently across a wide range of fuel-air mixtures, even with less fuel.

This means hydrogen engines can run on what’s called a “lean mixture”, where there’s more air and less fuel in the combustion process.

The result being better fuel efficiency, a more complete burn, and lower combustion temperatures, which all help reduce pesky emissions like nitrogen oxides (NOx).

And while hydrogen engines aren’t entirely “zero” emission, they produce zero carbon dioxide (CO₂) at all.

The only other emissions – tiny traces of by-products from engine oil – are vastly lower than what you’d find coming out of a petrol or diesel exhaust.

And with decades-old emissions reduction technologies like exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), NOx emissions can be cut even further, making hydrogen ICE a significantly cleaner option.

Hydrogen infrastructure incentive

What’s more, rolling out hydrogen infrastructure could, in theory, be a lot more straightforward than building a BEV charging network from scratch. Retrofitting existing fuel stations to pump hydrogen instead of fossil fuels is feasible.

Companies like Shell, BP and Esso already have the infrastructure, making hydrogen retrofits scalable and cost-effective.

Unlike BEV chargers, which take an hour to top up a car and bring in a tenner at best, hydrogen refuelling takes minutes, maintaining station turnover – and income.

If you really want to front a clean energy revolution, you need to build the infrastructure. And to build the infrastructure, you need to engage all stakeholders – and incentivise them.

Maintaining the soul of driving

Car enthusiasts – like me – will love this one. Hydrogen ICE vehicles preserve the elements that us petrolheads hold dear: the prehistoric growl of an engine, the tactile shift of changing gears, the visceral connection between driver and machine.

Let’s be honest, who really wants a silent, one-gear Lamborghini? Absolutely no-one.

Hydrogen keeps performance marques alive and kicking in the clean-energy era.

The critics’ concerns

Critics often point to NOx emissions as a sticking point for hydrogen ICE. Yes, burning hydrogen produces some NOx, but fossil-fuel engines already emit this – and we’ve been mitigating it for years with catalytic converters, EGR systems, and particulate filters.

The same solutions can apply to hydrogen.

Then there’s the efficiency argument: detractors claim hydrogen ICE vehicles are a ‘wasteful’ use of renewable energy or rely on fossil fuels for production.

But here’s the reality – if you want to curb transport emissions quickly, hydrogen is a cleaner alternative to petrol or diesel.

It’s not perfect – neither are batteries – but it’s a significant improvement vs fossil fuels. And it doesn’t demand a radical overhaul of consumer habits or infrastructure.

A realistic path forward

BEVs are great – for those who want them. But they aren’t the one-size-fits-all solution many evangelists claim.

In the real world, where practicality matters, hydrogen ICE cars offer a chance to reduce emissions dramatically without flipping the world upside down.

They’re a bridge – or maybe even a semi-permanent solution – and a practical, scalable way to transition the world toward cleaner transport while keeping consumers, businesses, and governments on side.

Hydrogen ICE vehicles are a realistic, scalable solution that bridges the gap between where we are and where we want to be.

It’s time to stop dismissing hydrogen ICE and start giving it a real shot.