Michelin, Renault, Faurécia ... the French automotive industry is betting on hydrogen. Why choose this technology? Is it more promising than batteries? Some elements of answers with our columnist Axel de Tarlé.
"We are not going to tell a story, we lost the battle on the batteries, everything comes from China, so instead of running behind the Chinese trying to make up for lost time, you can bet on another technology: hydrogen, where everything remains to be done The battle remains to be fought, and so we can have dreams of greatness, as testified by this Michelin press release on Thursday announcing the creation of a joint venture with the French automotive supplier Faurecia , Peugeot Citroën Subsidiary The ambition is to become: "world leader" in "hydrogen mobility." Renault has also announced last month that it intends to capitalize on this technology, with the upcoming commercialization of commercial vehicles. Hydrogen, the Kangoo and the Master.
How it works ?
A reminder of 3rd grade chemistry classes. When you mix hydrogen (H2) with oxygen in the air (O2), you get electricity. And H2 + 02 = H20, water. So, we do not do more eco. It's pure water that you can drink coming out of the muffler. The advantage is that there is no need for battery. Make a full tank of hydrogen takes a minute, and you make electricity in the car, in what's called a fuel cell. And this is the purpose of this Michelin / Faurecia joint venture: the fuel cell.
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But we have the whole industry, because downstream, Renault is already using this fuel cell in its Kangoos hydrogen. And upstream, who is number one or world number two for the production of this gas, hydrogen? The French Air Liquide, which, by the way, to show that it works, launched in Paris there is now 4 years a fleet of 100 taxis hydrogen (Hype) that you may have already taken without realizing that you were driving in a hydrogen car. In short, we have the whole chain: gas, the fuel cell, and cars. It deserves a lot of attention to this clean technology, with the ambition, why not, to be the world's champions. "