"It's a fact: battery electric vehicles are more efficient in well-to-wheel than fuel cell electric vehicles. It's absolutely true... generates losses and is less efficient than using the electricity directly," said Michael Rath, BMW's vice president for hydrogen vehicles.
"So if the electricity for the vehicle first has to be imported... a solar panel in southern Spain or Australia will generate more energy in the same time and provide a similar driving range for an SUV," Rath explained.
BMW's position is that some regions have such high potential energy yields from solar or wind that it compensates for these conversion losses... hydrogen could be generated as a form of load balancing during surplus energy times.
The key advantage of hydrogen over battery electric is its fast refueling times. Drivers expect to refuel in five minutes or less, creating an advantage for hydrogen vehicles.
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