The market for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) has developed rapidly in recent years. Indeed, in just one year, the number of hydrogen trucks increased by almost 293%!
However, this significant jump was the result of a low, or even creeping, base. In practice, this means an increase in the number of FCEV trucks from 14 in 2021 to 55 a year later – according to the “Clean Hydrogen Monitor 2023,” a study by Hydrogen Europe.
Meanwhile, the number of electric trucks is higher, reaching 1,656 vehicles in 2022 ( an increase of almost 33% year-on-year). The psychological barrier of 1,000 vehicles was crossed in 2021, although the figure was close to being achieved the year before.
However, the enthusiasm cools down when you look at the share of electric trucks in the entire European fleet. In 2022, they constituted only 0.6% of it (up from 0.5% a year earlier). Meanwhile, 96.6% of heavy vehicles in Europe use diesel, according to ACEA data.
Meanwhile, the assumptions regarding the development of the number of heavy hydrogen and electric vehicles are ambitious. ACEA estimates that by 2030, the number of the former will increase to 60,000, while the latter will reach up to 270,000 (in the European Union and Great Britain).
How will things develop with the new vehicle offers coming this year? To find out, we asked the largest manufacturers about their plans for the European market.
Daimler Truck
In 2024, Daimler Truck will continue working on a truck using hydrogen fuel cells.
“Development activities are currently focused on Germany/Europe with our Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck prototype,” says Paul Mandaiker, communications manager and spokesperson for technology & regulations. He also ensures that the vehicle will appear in additional markets in the future.
We are talking here about a truck powered by a fuel cell system, equipped with a system of tanks with liquid hydrogen at a temperature of -253 degrees Celsius. At the end of September last year, the aforementioned truck covered 1,047 km on one refueling.
Daimler Truck argues that decarbonisation of transport can only be ensured by the simultaneous development of battery-electric and hydrogen technologies. This is because they respond to completely different needs related to different kinds of transport operations.
“Battery-electric trucks are the right choice for distribution and long-distance transport when they are to run on pre-planned routes with access to charging points. However, hydrogen-powered cars will be a better solution when it comes to flexible, complex heavy and long-distance transport,” explains the company.
When it comes to the development of the latter, Daimler is slowly starting to think about series production. “The next step (in the development of this solution – editor’s note) will be to build the first test fleet of Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck with five selected customers,” Daimler Trucks spokesperson Paul Mandaiker tells trans.iNFO.
However, he adds that there are several obstacles to the development of hydrogen as the main or one of the main fuels for road transport, namely refueling infrastructure and “cost competitiveness compared to conventional vehicles.”
Iveco
Iveco is also focusing on the development of hydrogen vehicles. The manufacturer, which parted ways with US-based Nikola in the middle of last year, recently announced plans to release two models of hydrogen fuel cell trucks – HD BEV and FCEV.
Based on the S-Way heavy commercial vehicle platform, these vehicles have a range of up to 500 km and 800 km respectively. The company has already announced that the first batch of these vehicles are bound for the French, German and Swiss markets.
Plans for 2024 show that the company does not intend to change its development direction.
“As part of H2Haul EU-funded project, our IVECO S-eWay Fuel Cell will go to market starting with trials with end-customers with 12 pre-series units in H1/2024 within the H2Haul EU-funded project,” says Ilaria Calvanese, from Iveco’s press & digital communications department.
The largest number of hydrogen vehicles is to go to France – 6. Switzerland will have 4 and Germany 2.
Iveco argues that hydrogen is one of the key energy sources that will fuel transport in the future and lead to the energy transformation in Europe.
“That’s why we have invested in accelerating the deployment of this technology in the industry by forging strategic partnerships with global energy providers and gaining membership in associations and funded projects dedicated to the development of a hydrogen ecosystem in Europe,” Calvanese tells trans.iNFO.
MAN
MAN has adopted a completely different strategy. They announced that in the field of zero-emission technologies, they will focus almost entirely on BEVs (battery electric vehicles).
“Combined with low operating costs and the best energy balance, electric vehicles offer the most suitable technology for future, more climate-friendly commercial vehicle fleets,” explains Tomasz Pietsch, press officer Van & Zero Emission Mobility at MAN Truck & Bus.
Hydrogen is to be a certain complement to electromobility, which is why technologies related to it are currently being tested – hydrogen combustion engines (H2-ICE) and hydrogen fuel cells (H2).
“The H2-ICE has a high degree of maturity due to its technological proximity to conventional diesel trucks,” argues Tomasz Pietsch. In his opinion, vehicles with this type of drive will soon be classified as zero-emission vehicles.
In turn, according to the MAN representative, fuel cells still have a long way to go before they are widely used. The reasons include price, availability and lack of necessary infrastructure.
Nevertheless, hydrogen is also considered important by this manufacturer, mainly due to the fact that vehicles using this fuel could drive significantly longer distances and in regions where there is no publicly available electric charging network.
DAF
DAF is also currently working on both hydrogen fuel cells and a hydrogen combustion engine. The DAF Innovation H2 ICE prototype is currently being tested.
This does not mean, however, that DAF will produce and release H2 or H2 ICE trucks this year, Rutger Kerstiens, public relations manager at DAF Trucks, tells trans.iNFO.
“Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier for the future, but time is needed to develop durable hydrogen propulsion systems,” he argues. “It will take a few more years, unfortunately we do not have a crystal ball to indicate when this will happen,” he adds.
As is the mantra, the opinion is repeated that the profitability of hydrogen trucks will depend primarily on European countries developing the necessary infrastructure.
Similarly, the opinion is repeated that focusing on one type of zero-emission drive is not appropriate.
“We need to step away from the ‘one fuel fits all’ idea. It is most likely that there will be a mix of technologies available – with each technology being the best solution for specific applications,” commented Rutger Kerstiens.
He also believes that hydrogen would be the best solution for heavy and long-haul transport, but given the level of advancement of the work, he says that “it simply makes sense to keep all options open.”