FCEV requires lots of compression, that compressed tank doesn’t come for free, and a lot of energy is lost to compression.
Also, it does not take that much energy to compress gas. Advancements in technology will reduce this to a tiny amount: https://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/9013_energy_requirement...
Going with a lower pressure tank saves money at the cost of reduced range. The problem is booting a hydrogen station network big enough to support a low range FCV (< 200 miles).
But even building expensive carbon fiber high pressure tanks is going to eventually be much cheaper than huge batteries filled with semi-rare minerals that will increase in price as battery market demand increases. We should talk about what peak <Battery Mineral> will mean alongside Peak Oil.
Sure it can get better, so can BEVs. I don’t see hydrogen winning though, electricity is just so pervasive while the infrastructure for hydrogen would have to be built out, and people might not want to go back to the gas station model after they are used to just charging at home.
They might work out for truck transport given the weight savings, and easier deployment of hydrogen infrastructure at truck stops.
Most of the arguments against hydrogen cars are just attempts to defend BEVs, not serious arguments against them. BEV advocates can't even acknowledge that millions of people live in apartments or condos, and will probably never have convenient access to charging systems. They pretty much require an alternative.
Millions of people live in condos and apartments without access to even parking, they park on the street I guess in countries that allow that (many countries require that you show proof of parking spot before they’ll sell you a vehicle). Norway is already at 50%, it’s not going to be even a contest in most countries that don’t have America’s flaky parking arrangements.
These are just excuses that exist to defend BEVs. They are not serious arguments. It is ironically just a repeat of anti-BEVs arguments, just by BEV fans against the next big idea this time. I guess just like Reddit turning into the next Digg, history sometimes repeats like this.
Hydrogen fuel cells are economically non-starters for all but a few niche applications. Toyota is just so sunk cost on it and behind on BEVs that they are desperate to make hydrogen happen even when it clear isn’t.