I totally agree with you, it normally takes about 4 times the energy to produce it, you need a very expensive infrastructure, a safety issue, also a range issue, hugely expensive technology and other associated problems. However this article seems rather different, as it doesn’t really take energy but plants to produce the hydrogen apparently. It seems like a much more efficient manner to produce it, and after all it’s all solar powered. The instant refueling is what makes the difference compared to charging. Aviation, where I work in, still needs a solution for the long term. I think hydrogen might have a solution, if it can be produced without needing a huge amount of energy. In this case the efficiency is actually more than 100 precent (using low energy waste heat will create hydrogen that has more energy), a net gain! That sure sounds like a game changer to me.

It probably doesn’t provide easy solutions that will trump battery cars, at least not for the next 10 years or so. But it does sound promising. Of course by that time we’re sure to see big advances in nano-tech batteries and capacitors as well.

Added a 3 part detailed review from Foro Coches Eléctricos with some new information on battery cooling etc. – recommended.

I don’t have anything to add – except to reiterate that I don’t believe it. It would make no sense for Renault to do it. They have invested a fortune in developing the Zoe and need to get that money back at the current range/price point before making any changes.
Also they have just had a massive launch where they have paid for hundreds of journalists to fly to Lisbon, stay in hotels, and test drive the Zoe. They have all gone away and written up their views of the Zoe, most of them headlining the range. That’s a pretty good indication that no new range information is coming from Renault for a year or more, otherwise they’ve massively shot themselves in the foot.

The only way it could make sense longer term is if the battery has twice the range but is compatible with the current system (though it’s hard to imagine how that’s physically possible). Then they could offer an upgrade to the battery lease – something like twice the range for twice the price (i.e. 200 mile range for £200 per month). The problem with that is that no-one would take it – at the current price I can commute and occasionally go further for about the price of an ICE. At twice the cost I could occasionally go even further, but that’s too high a price to pay.

Hi,

These are the figures from the memo I got a photocopy of:

Expression

Deposit: £2,492
Monthly: £179 + battery lease

Dynamique Intens/Zen

Deposit: £2,888
Monthly: £189 + battery lease