Alright guys, so yesterday after I filled up my tank and saw that number AGAIN, I gotta tell ya, it kinda stung. Been hearing all this buzz about hydrogen cars being way cheaper to run than regular gasoline, right? “Fuel of the future” and all that. Sounded way too good not to check it out myself. Gotta see if the hype holds any water in the real world, not just on some fancy brochure.
First step? I mean, I can’t just magically have a hydrogen car, can I? So I hopped online, digging around, seeing what these H2 refueling stations actually look like around where I live and work. Spoiler alert: they ain’t exactly on every street corner like your regular gas station. It took some serious map-scrolling to find one that wasn’t like a whole day trip just to get there. Took me over an hour just to figure out which station was even operational and roughly on my usual routes. That’s time, gas, and frustration right there they never mention.
Found one eventually, kinda on the way back from where I needed to be today anyway. Feeling hopeful, I pulled in. The pump itself? Weird. Looked sorta familiar, but also… different. Like a sci-fi movie version of a gas pump. Felt clumsy using it the first time, I admit. Took longer than a normal gas fill-up, figuring out how to connect it properly and get the thing started. Then you just… wait. And wait. Feels slower. You don’t hear that satisfying splash of liquid filling the tank, ya know?
Okay, tank full? Now comes the big test – actually driving the thing. Had it for the rest of the day, running my usual errands, dealing with the same stop-and-go traffic hell. Trying to drive like I normally do, not going out of my way to be a grandma about it to make the numbers look better. Just… regular driving. The car felt fine, power wasn’t an issue, but honestly, nothing screamed “revolutionary cheaper way to travel!” while I was behind the wheel.
Day done, car back to the station. Time for the showdown: THE COLD HARD NUMBERS. I pulled out the app on my phone – gotta track this stuff properly.
- Filled H2 Tank Cost: Yeah. $80 bucks. Just sitting there blinking on the pump display. My jaw kinda dropped. That’s roughly the same size as a tank that costs me around $50-$55 in my regular car. Oof.
- Distance Driven: Got about 260 miles out of that whole tank. Not terrible, kinda in line with what my gas car does on the highway, maybe a tiny bit less in mixed driving like this.
- Cost per Mile: Simple math time. $80 ÷ 260 miles = roughly 31 cents every single mile. For comparison, my gas sedan costs me about 15 cents per mile driving the same route and traffic most weeks. I literally double-checked my calculations.
So, where’s all that big savings they keep yapping about? Not in my wallet, that’s for damn sure. Maybe someday if hydrogen gets way cheaper and the stations are everywhere. But right now?
Yeah, the car ran fine. Felt quiet enough. No smoke or anything. But the whole point was supposed to be saving money on fuel. What did I actually end up saving compared to my usual car? A big fat nothing. Actually, it cost me over $25 more to drive roughly the same distance I would have in my regular gas car today!
Talk about a reality check. They can show all the clean-air animations they want; paying nearly double per mile ain’t saving jack squat. It’s a cool idea, but for the regular person just trying to get to work and the store without burning cash? Until something major changes with the price and how easy it is to actually refuel, it feels like paying a hefty premium for potential. Potential ain’t putting dollars back in my pocket today. Maybe other owners have had better luck, but my real-world test just ended with a much lighter wallet and zero financial upside. Wasn’t worth the extra hassle, honestly. Better than nothing for the planet, sure, but way worse for the budget.
