The energy efficiency of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are around 40%, much higher than that of gasoline cars (20%) but lower than electric cars (70%). But we must also account for the efficiency in hydrogen production, transport, and refueling—which makes the overall efficiency drop below 20%, due to technological constraints. Still, there is plenty of room to improve as technology progresses. Plus, electric cars vary in terms of method of power generation and their effects carbon emissions. So simply comparing efficiency between vehicles is not that helpful.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles consist of a motor, battery, and electronic apparatus, which is almost identical to an electric car. Toyota cars share 60% of their parts with electric cars. However, the fuel cell system and hydrogen storage system require a high level of technological expertise, so aside from the aforementioned three manufacturers, no other companies are able to mass produce hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Hydrogen storage system consist of pipes, valves, and pressure regulator that maintain stability storing high-pressure hydrogen, as well as a hydrogen storage tank enhanced with carbon fiber. The fuel cell system is comprised of a fuel cell stack, hydrogen supply/recirculation apparatus, oxygen supplier/humidifier, and heat monitoring system.

As the core component of the system, the fuel cell stack is made up of a membrane serving as electrolyte, catalyst with gas diffusion layer working as electrodes, and a bipolar plate with water flow pattern that supplies oxygen and hydrogen to the entire surface area of the electrodes. Each unit cell produces a low voltage of around 0.6V when operating. When tens to hundreds of unit cells are stacked top of each other, they work like a series circuit, supplying high voltage electricity. The performance of a fuel cell stack depends all these components mentioned. The characteristics of the membrane, catalyst, gas diffusion layer, and bipolar plate are crucial, as well as the shape of the water flow pattern and the way fuel cell stack is put together. It takes the highest level of technological sophistication to come up with a holistic plan of whole system from the very beginning.

Fortunately, thanks to over 20 years of research support from the government and industry, most of the core materials and components and system technology have come to be domestically produced. We have a well-established manufacturing ecosystem. Once again, this shows the significance of a continuous, long-term research and development support in achieving technological progress.

The price of Hyundai Motors’ NEXO is about 70 million won, similar to Toyota’s MIRAI—which is still expensive. Of course, with national and local government subsidy, it can be purchased at 35 million won, but lowering the price will be crucial in order to expand the use of hydrogen fuel cell cars, in addition to technical expertise. If we consider the current price of gasoline cars, the price of hydrogen fuel cell cars must be reduced to below 40 million won. Various government agencies including EU’s Fuel Cell and Hydrogen and the US Department of Energy have conducted research the costs of hydrogen fuel cell cars.

They all result in similar conclusions. In the next 30 years, the price of the fuel cell system—which as of now takes up half of the total cost—is projected to decrease toe tenths of current price, drastically decreasing the total price of the FCEV. This canly be achieved in tandem with mass production of FCEVs. Reduction in price will be possible when the number of vehicles produced goes up to about 100 thousand. This price goal can be reached around 2030. Therefore, as expansion of infrastructure takes place with government and industrial support, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles come to be mass produced, it will not be long before we become a hydrogen society, seeing hydrogen fuel cell cars everywhere.