I'm sick of people saying hydrogen cars are completely green.

First of all, it requires three times the amount of electricity to produce hydrogen than you can actually get out of it, and then once you do use the hydrogen it still produces CO2.

caramelzappa, Walnut Creek, United States

As far as I'm concerned the electric car is nothing more than punishment from a higher power for picking on the school nerd.

Dave, Auckland, New Zealand

Great article, as usual. The "fuel savings" and environmental impact are far outweighed by the manufacturing and price, not to mention the lack of practicality.

To Dave - The Pierce Arrow is a long-lasting rumour. As Tesla never had a nephew named Peter Savo, the whole story is thrown into doubt.

Matt, Sparks, NV, USA

The limited amount of gas underlines the necessity of searching for alternatives. Bio fuels won't be a complete substitute. The advantage of electric cars is that some day electricity might become available in sufficient amounts by "non-dirty" technologies incl. nuclear fusion.

Frank, Frankfurt, Germany

Second advantage of E-cars is the ability to transform kinetic energy into electricity while breaking. Hybrids can do that as well but suffer from the additional weight of the full combustion engine + gearbox etc. Recharging: Why not building up "gas stations" that change the whole battery block?

Frank, Frankfurt, Germany

Nikola Tesla in the 1930s made a car called the Pierce Arrow that never needed re charging and had a top speed of 90 miles an hour. Stanley Meyer in the 1980s built a car powered by water alone secured patents on his fuel cell recieved millions to go into production and was then promptly murdered

Dave, London, UK

This "electric cars are not green because the energy comes from dirty power plant" together with "hydrogen cars are green" drives me mad! All pure hydrogen needs to made- either from 'dirty' fossil fuel or from water using power from 'dirty' power plants! Hydrogen is no energy source, only a carrier

Valentin, Karlsruhe, Germany

Mark Chisholm: So is it perhaps true that Clarkson is wrong to suggest that the Tesla needs a 3-phase hookup to charge more quickly? In all the material I have ever seen about the car, the claims were that the fastest charging would occur with a 220-240V, 70A connection. 3-phase was never mentioned.

James Anderson Merritt, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

James Andessen Merrit - we don't have 220V 3ph supply. Nor do you in America. You have 110V phase and neutral and 220V L1 L2. 3 phase is entrirely different and the infrastructure costs of installing 3ph into each house would be huge. 3ph is available at the sub xfmrs - single phase at your house.

Mark Chisholm, Dereham, UK

As much as i admire the engineering of the car, it was in Autocar recently that Tesla have admitted that each car they sell for $90,000 actually costs them £148,000 to make.

Oopsie. As such the price is going to go UP for the time being...

Tim, Wickford, UK

Men buy sportcars for reasons other than improving their sex life?

Angus, Sandringham,

Yeah, that's where "common sense" leads. Shortsightedness!

Stefan Senn, Salzburg, Austria

Also elecric cars just arnt practicle. Theres no way the human race will convert to cars that need 4-16 to charge. what if you want to drive 800 miles, do you use your petrol car thats sitting in the garage? if so then the conversion will never happen. do a little research on battery technology.

Jack, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

Another reason for supporting electric cars is dependency on fossil fuels. As mentioned by Steven from Canberra, the most cost effective way for producing hydrogen is by steam reforming natural gas. European countries will become even more dependent on Russian gas and threats to shut us off.

Peter, utrecht, Netherlands

To CP in Seattle: The component in modern Silicon Valley PC that makes them most crash-worthy appears to be OS software from YOUR home town! I remember the early days of Silicon Valley, when I could leave my pre-DOS/Windows PC up for weeks at a time without crash or reboot. Just sayin'.

James Anderson Merritt, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

Clarkson savaged the 1990s Corolla, did he? Ours is still running, and may outlast Mr. Clarkson. It's more beaten-up now than it used to be & has needed some repair over the years, but it has an amazing capacity to keep on going, while more expensive, "better engineered" cars went to to the crusher.

James Anderson Merritt, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

Batteries will improve, without requiring the massive infrastructure investment of the "hydrogen economy." Don't most homes in the UK already have 220v 3-phase power for such things as large laundry appliances? They do in America, even though the customary wall-outlet voltage is 110.

James Anderson Merritt, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

As much as I enjoyed the read. The simple fact is that it takes galactic amounts of energy to produce the Hydrogen for these fuel cells. The tesla is a perfectly fine car, with a 200Mile fuel tank and a system of batteries that costs about a £5er to charge.

James Flynn, glasgow, scotland

The world have enough resources for every car to have fuel cells due to the need for platinum, estimates quoted in the new scientist forsee supplies ending in 70 maximum not to mention the absurd cost an individual fuel cell cost (currently £10,000)

Tim , edinburgh,

Forget Tesla. They come from Silicon Valley, California, which has a hard enough time making a computer than doesn't crash. I think electric cars + alternative energy generation is what makes sense. Most cars are used for short trips and can be charged at night. Hydrogen has big problems of its own.

CP, Seattle, USA

The answer is: buy a freakin bicycle if you want to be green. Or wait 20 years. Or then just drive a normal car and wait for the people who are actually polluting the world to come to reason. The key, I believe, is to be reasonable. For instance, walk to the news agent instead of taking your SUV...

Will, Madrid, Spain

Battery technology predates the invention of electric inductance (how we generate electricity ) the idea of a new breakthrough is unlikely. As for hydrogen fuel cells this is produced from hydrocarbons (oil). Making methanol from CO2 and Hydrogen is scientifically ridiculous. The answer..buy a POLO

Adrian, Nottingham, UK

Ross, Glasgow, the Teslas all come with a two speed transmission, but due to several failures one of the gears has been locked out on all cars.

Jeff, Blue Springs, MO, USA

Errr, JC, you do realise that currently it takes more energy (from current power supplies such as Nuclear, fossil fuels and renewable sources) to split water in to Hydrogen and Oxygen than is generated by the use of Hydrogen in a fuel cell?

Back pedal!

Rod Fountain, Teddington , England

2008 deliveries: Honda 5 FCX Clarity fuel cell cars, Tesla 150 Roadsters, Ford 0. Ford announced plans for a battery electric car by 2011, as have most other auto makers, but no delivery date for anything running on H2 fuel. Apparently, Honda is the only car maker without any plug-in plans

CM, Modesto CA, USA

My issue is this: the Tesla Roadster is the first forray into this market for the company. The next (Model S) will be cheaper and more practical. Then a cheaper one still. Battery tech will increase as well. This is still in it's infancy, as are all EV's. There are still no plans for H stations

Mark, Chicago, USA

Nice report.

I must take issue with one point. A hydrogen car emits much more Greenhouse gasses than a petrol car. Water vapour is the main greenhouse gas.

Robert, Ottawa, Canada

If the Tesla were made in Britain, Clarkson would have said it's brilliant and full of character.

A.J. Viggen, Wahoo, NE, USA

The HFC vehicle has a very poor well to wheel efficiency, lower than the internal combustion engine. However there is one aspect that no one seems to consider about HFC vehicles. The water vapour produced is a far worse green house gas than CO2. A few hundred Hydrogen cars no problem but millions?

Mark Tebbutt, Chorley, England

There are problems with hydrogen-electric cars and there are problems with battery-electric cars, no denying that.
But consider the amount of batteries needed to run the amount of cars in the world. Earth simply does not have the resources for the battery car to replace the petrol car.

Alex, London,

Here's a very substantiated article on why hydrogen is not an answer either:
http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-hydrogen-hoax

Albertas Agejevas, Vilnius,

Hydrogen's great if ensuring drivers must continue to depend on fueling stations is your advertisers' goal. Electric is great because it doesn't subject drivers to this continued dependency. Hydrogen remains expensive to process, while battery capacities and charge times continue to progress.

M Hurd, Saint Petersburg, FL, US

Well done Dennis from Midland, TX, you have just invented the perpetual motion machine, out problems are over.

Phil, Sunshine Coast, Australia

on hydrogen as a car fule
1. as pepol have said it is actually less efferent as a fuel cos of manufacturing costs
2. h leeks very baddley . leave a h powered car in parked for a week and you might finds it has no fule left in it

mm1145, didcot, uk

Jeremy, You talk about Hydrogen as if you can dig a hole and scoop a bucket of it up out of the ground and pour it in your tank......Absolutely not! It takes huge amounts of power to split Hydrogen from other molecules which then allows you to fill up your tank. NOT VIABLE!

Stuart, Ipswich, England

As soon as a significant number of plug-in electric vehicles are being used, the various governments will slap a road tax on electricity for automotive use. You can count on it.

David J, Calgary, Canada

I had the great fun of test driving the GM EV1 in San Francisco back in 1998. Great fun - stylish, nippy, good handling, eerily silent at lights... But clearly useless. It had a "fuel gauge" that showed "remaining charge". Go uphill, or even wind down the windows, and that gauge *dived* downwards

AGB, Dallas, USA

Michael of Fort Wayne-Currently the most cost effective method that exists for obtaining large quantities of hydrogen is not via electrolysis of water, but by the steam reforming of natural gas. This process unfortnately still stuffs a not-insignificant amount of CO and CO2 into the atmosphere.

Steven, Canberra, Australia

The truth is out, the range of the Tesla dropped from 200 miles to 55 due to the excess weight it was carrying. Should have let the hamster test it, he would probably have got 250 miles or more before recharging was needed.

Phil Medway, Singapore,

The concept of the car is bankrupt. I work at home and own two cars, stupidly. One has done 9k miles in 29 months, and the other has done 8k miles in 24 months. I continue to own them because I'm 41. Younger and smarter people will just abandon this silliness. I hope.

Andrew Fox, Sao Paulo, Brazil

I look forward to reading The Times on Sunday, your articles always make me laugh.

Dina, Liverpool, England

thanks Clarkson, love the show, good explanation of the facts here.

Eric, Brandon, Canada

Mr. Clarkson - Hydrogen cars have the same "green" problem as electric cars. Where the heck do you think the hydrogen will come from? Okay, and how do we separate it from water? Electricity. Where is the electricity generated? The same place the electricity for the electric car is generated.

Michael, Fort Wayne, USA

Why are there no cars built on the principle of diesel electric engines - diesel (or gas) engine driving generators that power motors integrated to each wheel. Or is that how the Volt works?

Ray, NYC,

Electric powered cars, except now for milk delivery floats, were droppped at the very beginning of the 20th century for being impractical. The scientists are working on hydrogen and the UK govt. has decided the French are (and were) correct and will noe build many nuclear power stations.

B J Deller, Marbella, Spain

@Dennis, Midland TX: you don't seem to understand the laws of thermodynamics. Adding alternator isn't going to help. You can't get power out of thin air. Sorry.

joe, Washington, DC, USA

"I thought the controversy was about whether the Tesla ran out of juice on the track unexpectedly and needed to be pushed back? What happened there exactly?"
They faked it for effect. So much for "No stone remained unturned in our quest for truth and decency."

John, Syracuse, USA

If they can get the battery tech right then these sort of cars would be great. 200 miles on a charge is already pretty good. And it'd keep the eco loonys happy as there would be far less plant foods .. err sorry I mean "carbon" "dioxides" produced.

John Smith, Cambridge,

@Aleksi, Finland. I think there are two versions produced by Tesla. A one-speed and a two-speed gearbox.

Ross, Glasgow, UK

I thought it had a single-speed gearbox?

Aleksi, Nakkila, Finland

I'm taking your word with a pinch of salt Jeremy, Elon Musk is much cleverer than you.

Jane Stewart, Johannesburg, South Africa

Why don't you just add a pulley to the existing electric motor to drive an alternator to recharge the batteries as you drive? No need to ever recharge.

Dennis, Midland TX,

I thought the controversy was about whether the Tesla ran out of juice on the track unexpectedly and needed to be pushed back? What happened there exactly?

Richard, King's Cross, London

I park my car on the street, at least 8 meters from the front of my 3rd floor apartment. How am I supposed to plug in my Tesla, or any other plug-in? I could rent a garage, of course, but that would negate the supposed savings I would make.

Douwe, Vila Real de Sto Antonio, Portugal

Peter from Old Windsor is wrong. Hydrogen is the answer providing you mix it with the CO2 produced by coal fired power stations to make Methanol which is a very high octane liquid fuel...!

DickW, Aberdeenshire,

Hydrogen cars aren't 'completely green' - like electricity, the creation of hydrogen needs to be done in a great big dirty power plant too.

Big Jim, London,

So, a hydrogen car at a million dollars a copy is better than a battery car at one hundred thousand? It takes less electricity to top off the Tesla than to produce and store the equivalent amount of hydrogen, and hydrogen makes more sense? Strange planet you live on JC.

Roger Richardson, Surprise, USA

There's an overlooked cost with battery electric cars - battery replacement. The maximum charge reduces all the time and reduces more every time the batteries are charged. So the range will continually drop.

Tesla say you can usefully get 100,000 miles from the batteries.

They avoid the question of the cost of replacing the batteries - probably because it's in the region of £12,000.

So there's another 12p per mile in running costs with Li-ion batteries.

David, Stoke, England

Are you kidding? You think the hydrogen car that has no infrastructure and costs $750,000 is a better technology than the Tesla which costs $110,000 and can be charged anywhere? Which technology do you think will come down in price and be practical first? So much wrong with everything you said.

John, Syracuse, USA

Most of the cost of petrol and diesel is tax. So if more than a tiny number of people use electricity to charge a car, the government will either have to lose a huge amount of tax revenue or tax car use a lot more. The true running cost of a Tesla is a lot more than that of an Elise R.

David, Stoke, England

@Ian, Madison, USA: I don't think they ever said the car had run out of 'juice.' I think what was probably said was that the car will run out of electricity after 55 miles - which was the case according to the way Jeremy was driving the car i.e. 44 miles, 80% charge used = 55 mile range.

Arthur, Exeter, United Kingdom

Laptop batteries are no good for cars. The Tesla is a joke
all the wrong technology.

Google BYD, Lightening, Chevy Volt, Volvo Recharge and PML Flightlink, makers of inwheel electric motors and see what can be done. Hydrogen is NOT the answer, very poor energy use petrol engine is better.

Peter, Old Windsor, UK

Until the price of fuel (diesel, petrol or LPG) becomes really high, electric or other fuel source cars just won't make it. JC illustrates this fact clearly, with the difference in buying price between the Elise and the Tesla allows the purchase of huge quantities of petrol. Try electric power... :)

frank, oxford, UK

So the video of the car running out of juice was not staged and the car really had run out of juice?

Ian, Madison, USA