4. Hydrogen combustion engine applications

H ₂ engines have been around since the early days of the internal combustion engine, with increased interest between 2000-2012, followed by a period of obsolescence between 2012 and 2019. This development raises a legitimate question: why hasn't this technology enjoyed wider success despite its long existence?

In the past, it was often suggested that this technology had no prospects, mainly because of the performance achieved by early attempts to develop hydrogen engines. In the early 2000s, companies such as BMW and Ford were among the pioneers exploring this technology. However, these attempts were relatively unsuccessful, leading to a rapid abandonment of the technology.

The first explanation is given by the technical requirements of hydrogen combustion engines, as described in §