Hydrogen powered cars work by compressing hydrogen gas that is fed into an onboard fuel cell stack that transforms the fuel's chemical energy into electrical energy. 

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1. Fuel Cell Stack – An aggregate of numerous fuel cells that combine oxygen and hydrogen to generate electricity and power the electric motor

2. Fuel Tank – Hydrogen gas is stored in carbon-fiber reinforced tanks to provide fuel to the fuel-cell stack

3. Electric Motor – Powers the car using energy produced in the fuel cell stack

4. Battery – Captures energy from regenerative braking and provides additional power to the electric motor

5. Exhaust – The byproduct of the reaction occurring in the fuel cell stack is water vapor, which is emitted through the exhaust

One of the many questions concerning hydrogen powered cars is if they are safe. The answer is yes, they are. According to a 2020 peer reviewed article, "It is clear that each type of drive is characterized by different characteristics and risk values. The design of hydrogen drives must be based on multicriteria decision making” (Sinay et al. 13). Based on this, the main conclusion that can be made is that even though there are dangerous risks associated with hydrogen powered cars, there are dangerous risks associated with all types of cars.

Articles such as Debunking the Myths: Why You Shouldn’t Fear Hydrogen-Powered Cars go into why they are much safer than one would think by arguing that they are safer than gasoline powered cars because the high-pressure tanks in hydrogen cars are specially designed not to leak or breach in even the highest-speed crashes and there have also been no recorded deaths in hydrogen cars. 

No they do not blow up. This is another common myth for hydrogen cars, and it is not true because as the article Debunking the Myths: Why You Shouldn’t Fear Hydrogen-Powered Cars states, “hydrogen needs a spark from a flame or an electrical spark to ignite and create an explosion… they are fitted with special shielding to prevent any ignition in case of a leak, and hydrogen safety regulations require these cars to be over-pressurized, so the gas cannot escape” (Kisengo). In addition, the placement of the hydrogen tanks and how the cars are built are taken into account when designing them, minimizing the risks and making them as safe, if not safer, than gasoline and electric cars.