Improved hydrogen storage for cars

I'm afraid I still don't get it. The process here still sounds very complicated and complication usually means increased cost, risk and more failure modes. The article says hydrogen is released at a lower temperature than with previous technologies but heating it to 150 degC still seems way too hot. I also haven't heard anyone really come up with a solution to the hydrogen embrittlement problem or the simple fact that because hydrogen is such a small atom it leaks easier. All this means better materials and more exacting production processes which again translates into more cost. Don't get me wrong I love the potential of hydrogen's no pollution exhaust but I don't think our future, at least not for the next 20-30 years, is going to be a "hydrogen economy".

I agree with your 20 to 30 year estimate because of the time required to change the infrastructure. We don't even know the nature of the changes that will be required yet. Will they be pumping a gas or a liquid? And how corrosive or volatile. Looking at how long the current infrastructure took to evolve, I think the fuel of the future may have to be something that the consumer can recharge from the power lines - like batteries or a hydrogen generator.

It's all about energy storage. We use gasoline now because it packs a lot of energy in a relatively small and easy to handle package. Electricity storage, most commonly batteries have been heavy and haven't had the energy density or the quick recharge times needed to compete with gasoline. But with the cost of gasoline going up and pollution becoming a bigger issue along with battery technology getting better I think electric cars or certainly hybrids are our most likely short term solution. There are still challenges ahead with electrics and hybrids but they all look solvable now.