19 EV MISCONCEPTIONS: ‘You can just switch petrol and diesel cars to hydrogen’

The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) will be a crucial step for the Government to achieve the UK’s net zero target. The sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be phased out by 2030 and from 2035, all new cars and vans must be zero emissions at the tailpipe.

While EV technology, vehicles and infrastructure has developed rapidly in recent years, people still understandably have a lot of questions about this new technology.

The Government has released a leaflet addressing 19 common misconceptions surrounding EVs and EV charging infrastructure. You can access the full leaflet here and here’s just one of the topics covered:

Misconception: ‘You could easily just switch all petrol and diesel cars to burn hydrogen without going to all this trouble’

Reality: Government remains technology neutral. However, currently combustion hydrogen in a conventional engine still produces nitrogen oxide (NOx) and some CO2 exhaust emissions. This means that for now it is not zero emissions.

By comparison, the only exhaust emissions from hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is water. As set out in the government’s hydrogen strategy, we expect hydrogen to play a significant role in decarbonising transport. We expect it will probably be most effectively used in heavier transport applications ‘that batteries might not reach’ like large trucks, maritime and aviation.

For cars and vans, battery electric technology is the chosen route for a clear majority of manufacturers and motorists.