Wait, What? Two New Hydrogen Bike Initiatives Hold The Hopium Coming – Insta News Hub

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In in the present day’s information that makes you hmmm… A few current information gadgets from some well-known organizations caught my eye, not simply because they’re each engaged on hydrogen gasoline cell motorbike initiatives, but additionally as a result of the names of each establishments have a sure cachet within the tech world that may lend respectability to their work it doesn’t matter what it is perhaps.

Earlier than we go any additional, I ought to clarify that CleanTechnica now not covers any information about hydrogen gasoline cell vehicles, or at the least not about hydrogen for small- or medium-sized autos, which is an editorial resolution that displays the truth that there are such a lot of points with hydrogen, from manufacturing to distribution to dispensing to its use as a “gasoline” for transportation that when put next with battery-electric autos, it’s clearly a dud. And sure, we all know the oft-touted statistic that hydrogen is “probably the most plentiful component within the universe,” which makes it sound prefer it’s straightforward to only go seize an enormous load of hydrogen anytime we wish to, however is definitely type of a non sequitur which isn’t germane to the viability of hydrogen autos.

We used to sometimes cowl hydrogen automobile improvement up to now, however our long-time readers have in all probability seen CleanTechnica’s stance on hydrogen autos and the so-called hydrogen economic system has modified over time. It has change into clear that hydrogen as a clear tech answer for transportation isn’t a viable possibility for many use instances, nonetheless, dependancy to hopium is unquestionably a consider that trade, no matter the entire many challenges that hydrogen proponents would want to unravel first as a way to implement the expertise on any vital scale. Mike Barnard has achieved quite a few deep dives into the feasibility of hydrogen for transportation, amongst different issues, which illuminate quite a lot of the magical pondering in that sector, so for those who’re , possibly begin here or here or here. That being stated, let’s take a gander on the two hydrogen motorbike initiatives which have gotten some media play lately.

First, from MIT Technology Assessment we be taught that MIT’s Electric Vehicle Team (which seems to be an extracurricular membership, not a division throughout the faculty) has been engaged on a prototype hydrogen motorbike, and whoever wrote the article determined to go together with a clickbait headline. “The way forward for bikes could possibly be hydrogen” is a fairly massive stretch, however hey, I’m certain it will get extra eyeballs that manner. The issue is that for the layman, studying the piece would possibly cause them to consider that hydrogen bikes are a factor now, which they’re most decidedly not. And among the quotes within the piece are form of wild contemplating how easy it could have been to perform a little extra analysis about the usage of hydrogen in autos earlier than making among the claims.

In response to Aditya Mehrotra, a grad pupil who’s main the undertaking, “We’re hoping to make use of this undertaking as an opportunity to begin conversations round ‘small hydrogen’ methods that might improve demand, which might result in the event of extra infrastructure. We hope the undertaking will help discover new and artistic functions for hydrogen.” Significantly? Conversations round small hydrogen methods? New and artistic functions for hydrogen? Hmmm.

After which there’s this gem, from one other group member, a sophomore in mechanical engineering: “Proper now we’re taking a look at hydrogen as a result of it looks as if one thing that’s been much less explored than different applied sciences for making sustainable transportation.” Face, meet palm.

I’m certain there are some learnings that might come from a undertaking like this which could possibly be utilized to different industries, however I used to be a bit confused to listen to statements like these from college students at one of many high tech colleges on the earth. Nevertheless, for those who discover this undertaking intriguing, you may learn the full piece here. [Update: Evidently this article on the project slipped through the CleanTechnica policy committee and was published in January.]

The opposite hydrogen motorbike undertaking, dubbed Hydrocycle, was introduced in a press launch from Fraunhofer IWU and titled as “The Bike for the Hydrogen Age.” This undertaking isn’t solely a Fraunhofer enterprise, however is definitely the trouble of a “German-Czech consortium of analysis establishments and manufacturing corporations,” which additionally consists of WätaS Wärmetauscher Sachsen GmbH, 1to1design, Czech Technical College, and ÚJV Řež. Every of these companions are engaged on totally different features of the undertaking, as laid out right here:

“Within the Hydrocycle undertaking, Czech companions are engaged on automobile improvement, advancing work packages associated to automobile construction, ergonomics, and packaging (becoming the expertise into the out there area). German undertaking companions are specializing in the powertrain. WätaS Wärmetauscher Sachsen GmbH is creating a brand new era of gasoline cell stacks as the idea for the powertrain; Fraunhofer IWU helps the event of recent manufacturing applied sciences and the development of stack functionalities with the Reference Manufacturing unit.H2. The Chemnitz analysis institute can be liable for system dimensioning and packaging. And the IWU is answerable for guaranteeing a easy interface between automobile and gasoline cell system improvement.”

That’s all nicely and good, as analysis and improvement processes in initiatives like these may end up in enhancements or improvements that may be utilized throughout totally different disciplines. Nevertheless, this press release will not be solely titled “The Bike for the Hydrogen Age,” however it additionally consists of an AI-generated image with the caption, “That is what a future motorbike with hydrogen gasoline cell propulsion might appear like. The deliberate, ready-to-drive demonstrator can be accomplished by the tip of 2025.” And that, of us, is a certain option to get your hopium undertaking printed on-line by web sites which can be additionally in search of clickbait content material (a fast net search unearthed at the least 4 current articles main with that AI picture) with little to no regard for whether or not the undertaking will ever be greater than a prototype or analysis automobile.

Till subsequent time, preserve your skeptic hat on and your vaporware radar activated, as a result of it’s a wild world on the market on the net, even within the clear tech trade.