At a recent rally in Atlanta, former President Donald Trump expressed his disdain for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles yet again— this time using an imagined scenario involving his ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene . Trump painted a grisly picture, speculating on the aftermath of a potential hydrogen vehicle explosion involving Greene, as she watched from the crowd.
Trump singles out Danica Patrick in the crowd and says that if she died in a hydrogen car explosion she would be unrecognizable pic.twitter.com/hdnsJa9DMJ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 25, 2024
As per HuffPost , Trump asserted that a malfunction in a hydrogen car could leave the driver unrecognizable, likening the potential impact to that of an ‘atom bomb.’ “If something goes wrong, and Marjorie Taylor Greene with that beautiful blond hair is driving down the highway in a hydrogen car…the problem with the hydrogen car, if something goes wrong, it’s like the atom bomb went off. You are not recognizable. But they say, ‘We think we have it under control.’ That’s not good enough. They will say, ‘We thought it was Marjorie Taylor Greene riding down the middle of the turnpike but she is no longer recognizable. We found some of her.’” Trump asked Greene to stand up for the rallygoers and added, “I will not let her get into a hydrogen car…she wouldn’t do it anyway.”
Trump: “If something goes wrong and Marjorie Taylor Greene with that beautiful blonde hair is driving down the highway in a hydrogen car … you’re not recognizable … she’s no longer recognizable. We found some of her.” pic.twitter.com/Udk7Y0hddI
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 28, 2024
Arguing that hydrogen-powered cars are ‘extremely dangerous,’ Trump echoed his need for gasoline-based vehicles instead. He characterized energy-efficient models as highly experimental and claimed that the issue remained unresolved, despite data proving otherwise. Throughout his 2024 campaign , Trump has escalated his opposition to hydrogen and electric vehicles (EVs) positioning himself as a champion of the American auto industry. Greene echoed Trump’s claims and penned on X (formerly Twitter), “I agree, Mr. President! Electric cars and the Green New Scam shouldn’t be forced on the American people. When we elect you for the third time in 8 days, we are going to Make America Energy Independent Again!”
Trump: There will be no hydrogen. They tend to blow up and once they blow up you are not recognizable anymore. No, they say that’s the hottest new thing. Hydrogen does. Anybody in the, they say it’s so hot. The problem is when it’s not, when it’s not hot, it’s bad. It’s bad. So,… pic.twitter.com/0KTrVD7wuK
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 26, 2024
As per The Independent , Trump’s recent statements follow similar remarks at a Michigan rally, where he warned, “ You are going to build electric cars and you are going to build all kinds of cars except hydrogen. There will be no hydrogen. They tend to blow up. And once they blow up, you are not recognizable anymore.” The GOP nominee seems to base his claims on a single incident from 2023 when a hydrogen-powered bus exploded at a fueling station in Bakersfield, California. Although no one was hurt, the explosion caused major damage to the bus and part of the station.
However, Car and Driver magazine and other automotive experts report that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) are generally considered as safe as conventional cars, with rigorous standards in place to prevent accidents. To date, there are no reports of injuries or fatalities caused by hydrogen components in HFCVs in the U.S.