Heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses are responsible for more than 35% of direct CO₂ emissions from road transport. That’s why the whole world is shifting their lens to decarbonizing the trucking industry, not only because the diesel truck sector takes up 96.6% of the total but also because there is a significant need to find an emerging, zero emission alternative. This alternative is presented to the world in the form of hydrogen power — but can it revolutionize the long haul industry?

How do hydrogen powered trucks work?

Just like hydrogen powered cars, these trucks make use of fuel cells that convert the input of hydrogen into electricity, with water vapor being the only by-product. However, a great difference lies in the scale at which these systems are used.

Generally, hydrogen cars use 3 tanks to store the pure hydrogen as fuels, here 7 tanks are used to provide enough fuel for the longer travels. With a fuel cell stack it provides continuous conversion into electricity, this system coupled with the regenerative braking allows the drivers to make sustainable use of the provided electricity.

Advantages and disadvantages of this system

The hydrogen powered trucks have a significant edge over both diesel and electric trucks in the long driving range and fuelling times. Diesel takes less time to fuel up but the driving range does not last long compared to electric vehicles. Electric vehicles have a large driving range but take hours at once to fuel up.

Both these dilemmas are solved by the hydrogen system as it takes only 15 minutes to fuel up and can drive longer than electric trucks. In comparison to electric trucks the hydrogen trucks can carry more load making them even better to large cargo transportations. Most importantly, this system is the only one which makes zero emissions and accomplishes the goal of reducing the carbon footprint.

However, right now hydrogen trucks will face a significant challenge, due to the scarce availability of refueling stations along popular routes. Moreover, due to this technology not being widely regarded, its production has not been bought to scale yet, resulting in less energy-efficient system and a high cost of production.

The road ahead

As of 2023, there are several manufacturers like Nikola, Toyota, Hyundai and more that are developing these revolutionary machines. While challenges remain, the potential for hydrogen-powered trucks to decarbonize long-haul transportation is undeniable.

Citations

Hyundai Motor Company. “XCIENT Fuel Cell Truck | Hydrogen Truck.” Hyundai Motor Company, https://ecv.hyundai.com/global/en/products/xcient-fuel-cell- truck-fcev.

International Energy Agency. “Trucks and Buses.” IEA, https://www.iea.org/energy-system/transport/trucks-and-buses.

European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. “Fuel Types of New Trucks: Electric (0.6%), Diesel (96.6%) - Market Share Full-Year 2022.” ACEA, https://www.acea.auto/fuel-cv/fuel-types-of-new-trucks-electric-0-6-diesel-96-6- market-share-full-year-2022.

Blackridge Research. “List of Top Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck Companies.” Blackridge Research, https://www.blackridgeresearch.com/blog/list-of-top- hydrogen-fuel-cell-truck-fct-companies-oems-makers-manufacturers-suppliers.