Why We Don't All Drive Hydrogen Cars YET

Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, so why is it so hard to put in a car?

If hydrogen is everywhere and burns clean, what's actually stopping it from replacing gasoline tomorrow?

The problem is that hydrogen is incredibly light and takes up enormous space as a gas. To store enough in a car, you have to squeeze it to around 700 times normal air pressure, or chill it into a liquid at about minus 253 degrees Celsius, just above absolute zero. On top of that, hydrogen's tiny molecules slip through seals and gaps that would easily trap any other gas.

Worse, those tiny atoms actually seep into metal and make it brittle, slowly weakening the very tanks and pipes built to hold them. The lightest element in existence is also one of the hardest to keep contained.

Follow The Explainer Vault — because everything has an explanation.