(1) Energy-saving, high conversion efficiency, and does not require petroleum fuel
① Except for the reforming of gasoline to produce hydrogen, other fuels (methanol, hydrocarbons, etc.) are basically not petroleum fuels. The overall efficiency from the engine through the drive system to the wheels is about 11% for internal combustion engine vehicles, while the actual efficiency of FCEVs using hydrogen as fuel reaches 50% to 70%. FCEVs using methanol as fuel, after reforming to produce hydrogen, achieve an actual efficiency of 34%. The actual efficiency of FCEVs is significantly higher than that of internal combustion engine vehicles.
② Internal combustion engines reach their highest efficiency near their rated power, but their efficiency drops rapidly under partial power output conditions. Fuel cell batteries, on the other hand, can achieve 60% efficiency at rated power, 70% efficiency under partial power output conditions, and 50%–55% efficiency under overload power output conditions. Their high efficiency varies widely with power, exhibiting high efficiency at low power, making them particularly suitable for the power performance requirements of automobiles. ③ Internal combustion engines have low overload capacity and are prone to stalling under overload conditions. Fuel cell batteries, however, can achieve up to 200% of their rated power over short periods. This makes them ideal for the power performance characteristics of automobiles during acceleration and hill climbing.
In summary, fuel cell batteries are far more energy-efficient than internal combustion engines, and their stability and reliability are also higher.
(2) Emissions reach zero pollution
The harmful gases emitted by internal combustion engines are a fatal flaw of internal combustion engine vehicles, causing environmental pollution. Despite various internal and external technological measures, only low-pollution levels can be achieved. Given the sheer number of internal combustion engine vehicles, even low-pollution levels have a significant impact on the Earth's environment. Fuel cell engines using hydrogen as fuel primarily produce water and CO2, resulting in zero pollution. Fuel cell engines using hydrocarbons as fuel primarily produce water and CO2, with CO and other pollutants classified as ultra-low pollution. Due to environmental protection requirements and the search for new energy sources, fuel cell engines are a more ideal power source and have the potential to gradually replace petroleum as a major energy source for vehicles.
(3) The vehicle performance is close to that of an internal combustion engine vehicle.
The specific power of an internal combustion engine is approximately 300 W/kg, while the specific power of a fuel cell battery is currently 700 W/kg, with a power density of 1000 W/L. If the reformer, purifier, and auxiliary devices of the fuel cell are included, the specific power is 300–350 W/kg, and the power density is 280 W/L. In terms of energy, fuel cell batteries are close to internal combustion engines, and therefore their power performance can reach the level of internal combustion engine vehicles.
