Advantages and Technological Progress of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

The automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by the need for sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation solutions [1]. In this context, fuel cell technology has emerged as a promising alternative, offering clean, efficient, and high-performance power sources for vehicles [2]. Fuel cell vehicles are electric vehicles that use fuel cell systems as a single power source or as a hybrid power source in combination with rechargeable energy storage systems. A typical fuel cell system for electric vehicle is exhibited in Figure 1, which provides a comprehensive demonstration of this kind of complex system. Hydrogen energy is a crucial field in the new energy revolution and will become a key pillar in building a green, efficient, and secure new energy system. As a critical field for hydrogen utilization, fuel cell vehicles will play an important role in the transformation and development of the automotive industry. The development of fuel cell vehicles offers numerous advantages such as strong power outputs, safety, reliability, and economic energy savings [3]. However, improvements must urgently be made in existing technologies such as fuel cell stacks (including proton exchange membranes, catalysts, gas diffusion layers, and bipolar plates), compressors, and onboard hydrogen storage systems [4]. The advantages and current technological status are analyzed here.