To me the most "almost magic" thing about hydrogen is that it's #1 on the periodic table. It's literally the minimum viable atom: 1 proton + 1 electron. And H2

To me the most "almost magic" thing about hydrogen is that it's #1 on the periodic table. It's literally the minimum viable atom: 1 proton + 1 electron. And H2 is the minimum viable molecule: Join two of these atoms. The consequence is that it's small and can do the magic trick of vanishing, buy getting through gaps that other molecules can't, even permeate solid metals (1) Because of this, it's hard to work with, and won't be a general energy solution. You're right that hydrogen cars are not worth it. It will be used when you really need hydrogen specifically. But only then. 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_embrittlement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_embrittlement