That was a good read. Thanks iluvscuba I was a proponent of hydrogen cars until I learned more about them. I switched my attention away from them and now see that battery electric is the way to go. As the article said the only real advantage is the fast refuel time. But that is sure to go away as a differentiation. We already know solid state batteries are headed for high volume production. And when Graphene is finally available in it's purest form in high volume it too will increase the lifespan, power density, and improve charge times of batteries. When recharge times are 15 minutes or less (some say 5 minutes or less) the whole range anxiety issue will go away. I believe in five years we will be looking at batteries 1/3 the size and weight, with 20 year lifespans, fast recharge times, and all of the other benefits of electric vehicles. I doubt if hydrogen fuel cells power plants will even survive in vehicles.
Porsche thinks they are getting close to 250 miles range in a 20 minute charge - and are bringing out a gorgeous four door model to try and prove it - Ars Technica reports "The Mission E is a sleek four-door that promises 600hp (447kW) and 310 miles (500km) of range from a 95kWh battery pack." This one should have Elon squirming (but it will probably cost two Teslas to get one). I can guarantee when I win the Powerball jackpot, IT WILL BE MINE!
I doubt Elon is squirming for a very simple reason that goes beyond cost. Nobody has the Supercharger network he does. Nobody. With the Porsche, where do you recharge while on a long trip, regardless of how long or short a time it takes? I can go from N.Y. to Florida without breaking a sweat with all the Superchargers along the route. If it takes me 40 minutes to recharge from empty to full, that's enough time for me to grab lunch, dinner or just take a break. Most of the time you don't even recharge at empty, so your actual charge time is more like 30 minutes or less and you're off. The range anxiety thing is just a non-issue for virtually all of my driving. It might just be my tastes, but I find the Model S more attractive than the Porsche. It's all subjective, I know.