New Taycan

[Wing Commander]

Toyota seem to have a knack for producing rather ugly cars...

This one wasn't bad.

[Mistertoad]

I think it's a chicken and egg situation with this tech. Nobody in their right mind is going to buy a hydrogen fuel cell car in the UK with the current infrastructure and lack of vehicle choice. Rightly or wrongly it has been buried by EV which already has a realistic market today. Most manufacturers have now chosen to invest heavily in EVs, including VAG of course. I just don't see any hydrogen cars making my shortlist in the next decade or more, while there are loads of very interesting EVs in development - like this Porsche Taycan for example!

I know Audi is actively developing hydrogen cell technology to overcome the weight and range limitations of lithium ion batteries.

[johnd]

I know Audi is actively developing hydrogen cell technology to overcome the weight and range limitations of lithium ion batteries.

Hmm, but don't all major manufacturers have several irons in the fire at a very basic R&D level just in case there's some revolutionary breakthrough in the technology that prompts a radical rethink of their planned strategy. But I'm not sure that translates into it being a very likely production technology.

[Deleted User 1874]

I think it's a chicken and egg situation with this tech. Nobody in their right mind is going to buy a hydrogen fuel cell car in the UK with the current infrastructure and lack of vehicle choice. Rightly or wrongly it has been buried by EV which already has a realistic market today. Most manufacturers have now chosen to invest heavily in EVs, including VAG of course. I just don't see any hydrogen cars making my shortlist in the next decade or more, while there are loads of very interesting EVs in development - like this Porsche Taycan for example!

I know Audi is actively developing hydrogen cell technology to overcome the weight and range limitations of lithium ion batteries.

I hope they do better than Toyota then. The Mirai weighs in at 1850 kg with a quoted range of 312 miles (probably unrealistic in real world driving). The only potential advantage for an owner is quicker refuelling, presuming the infrastructure actually exists (hence the chicken and egg situation). But once 300 kW EV charging becomes the norm, there won't be a significant advantage anyway. So I think it's doomed to failure unless the government forces us to adopt this technology, which I very much doubt.

Meanwhile, there are far more compelling EVs like the Taycan coming along to tempt us away from petrol and diesel. Watching my wife firing up her frozen rattly diesel this morning in the snow while my Tesla silently defrosted itself automatically was yet another reminder why we will be replacing her diesel with another EV this year.

[happy days]

Infrastructure will be key. At least the majority of cars can be charged from home.

Yeah, I just had a look at the available charging stations for Hydrogen and it's a woeful picture. Even worse is the list of "planned" future sites, all 3 of them! Given how people are already very reluctant to deal with the public EV charging network, which is at least feasible to use, this has literally no chance of going anywhere in my lifetime, at least not as mainstream personal transport. Even if Porsche released a really sexy hydrogen sports car tomorrow, I wouldn't be able to refuel it without driving 50+ miles each way and there's no way I'm moving to Swindon

https://www.netinform.net/h2/h2stations/h2stations.aspx

Some commute form us here in NI to refill....

[happy days]

Toyota seem to have a knack for producing rather ugly cars...

This one wasn't bad.

There's always one, isn't there?

Ok, reword.

Toyota seem to have a knack recently for producing rather ugly cars...

All 60s cars seem to have been gorgeous. (Waits for the usual ones to chime in with ugly 60s car pics).

[GMAN75]

I think it's a chicken and egg situation with this tech. Nobody in their right mind is going to buy a hydrogen fuel cell car in the UK with the current infrastructure and lack of vehicle choice. Rightly or wrongly it has been buried by EV which already has a realistic market today. Most manufacturers have now chosen to invest heavily in EVs, including VAG of course. I just don't see any hydrogen cars making my shortlist in the next decade or more, while there are loads of very interesting EVs in development - like this Porsche Taycan for example!

I know Audi is actively developing hydrogen cell technology to overcome the weight and range limitations of lithium ion batteries.

I hope they do better than Toyota then. The Mirai weighs in at 1850 kg with a quoted range of 312 miles (probably unrealistic in real world driving). The only potential advantage for an owner is quicker refuelling, presuming the infrastructure actually exists (hence the chicken and egg situation). But once 300 kW EV charging becomes the norm, there won't be a significant advantage anyway. So I think it's doomed to failure unless the government forces us to adopt this technology, which I very much doubt.

Meanwhile, there are far more compelling EVs like the Taycan coming along to tempt us away from petrol and diesel. Watching my wife firing up her frozen rattly diesel this morning in the snow while my Tesla silently defrosted itself automatically was yet another reminder why we will be replacing her diesel with another EV this year.

Give her your Tesla then and you take the diesel. Some husband you are...

[Deleted User 1874]

I know Audi is actively developing hydrogen cell technology to overcome the weight and range limitations of lithium ion batteries.

Hmm, but don't all major manufacturers have several irons in the fire at a very basic R&D level just in case there's some revolutionary breakthrough in the technology that prompts a radical rethink of their planned strategy. But I'm not sure that translates into it being a very likely production technology.

Absolutely, that's the whole function of R&D. But they are only serious when they start gearing up to manufacture hundreds of thousands of cars together with all the associated marketing and hype - which is where Audi are now at with EVs.

[Ray G]

Watching my wife firing up her frozen rattly diesel this morning in the snow while my Tesla silently defrosted itself automatically was yet another reminder why we will be replacing her diesel with another EV this year.

Give her your Tesla then and you take the diesel. Some husband you are...

[Deleted User 1874]

I know Audi is actively developing hydrogen cell technology to overcome the weight and range limitations of lithium ion batteries.

I hope they do better than Toyota then. The Mirai weighs in at 1850 kg with a quoted range of 312 miles (probably unrealistic in real world driving). The only potential advantage for an owner is quicker refuelling, presuming the infrastructure actually exists (hence the chicken and egg situation). But once 300 kW EV charging becomes the norm, there won't be a significant advantage anyway. So I think it's doomed to failure unless the government forces us to adopt this technology, which I very much doubt.

Meanwhile, there are far more compelling EVs like the Taycan coming along to tempt us away from petrol and diesel. Watching my wife firing up her frozen rattly diesel this morning in the snow while my Tesla silently defrosted itself automatically was yet another reminder why we will be replacing her diesel with another EV this year.

Give her your Tesla then and you take the diesel. Some husband you are...

Ah, but I get to drop the kids off at school while she goes to her office in the opposite direction, so they get the priority transport. I did suggest ditching her diesel last year, but she decided to wait for the Model 3 and none of the other small EVs on the market interest her. She's been itching to get a Model S ever since we got the X, but she realises it's a bit too big for her needs.