(Stuttgart) – Both the hydrogen combustion engine (H2 engine) and the fuel cell drive (H2-BZ) have potential in heavy-duty long-distance transport. “In the medium term, there is a trend towards the use of H2 fuel cells.” This is the result of the study “System comparison of hydrogen combustion engines and fuel cells in heavy commercial vehicles”. It was published by the Stuttgart state agency for new mobility solutions and automotive Baden-Württemberg, E-Mobil BW GmbH.
Compared to battery technology, compressed hydrogen delivers the same amount of energy with less weight and volume. Hydrogen-based drives therefore promise great potential, particularly for heavy commercial vehicles - with very high requirements in terms of payload, flexibility and range. After all, trucks with a total weight of over 3,5 tons are responsible for 27 percent of CO2 emissions in road traffic, according to the authors from AVL List GmbH and the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research. Although drive efficiency has increased in recent years, CO2 emissions from heavy commercial vehicles have increased by a total of 1990 percent since 25.
Fuel cells have greater potential in the long term
For the H2 fuel cell, the study identifies lower maintenance costs, higher efficiency and better cost reduction potential as “clear advantages” over the H2 engine. If the appropriate framework conditions are created, the fuel cell has more long-term potential to become the leading hydrogen technology in heavy-duty transport.
However, it still has development risks. The H2 engine has great analogies to the conventional combustion engine. This therefore promises lower uncertainties and faster implementation. However, its cost reduction potential appears limited. As a result, the H2 engine could only represent a useful addition to the fuel cell drive in heavy commercial vehicles in the short to medium term.
98 to 100 percent emission-free
In a direct comparison, only small differences in the CO2 reduction potential of the respective drive systems would become clear: "While the H2 fuel cell is completely emission-free locally with regard to currently defined pollutants in the automotive industry, the H2 combustion engine achieves a CO2 emission reduction of 98 percent." Reason: When operating the H2 engine, the combustion process would continue to release air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides.
Both technologies could be technically implemented by 2025. While the number of suppliers for core components for the H2 engine is currently limited, the biggest challenges for the H2 fuel cell lie in an adequate cooling architecture and the currently high costs for the fuel cell systems. According to the study results, the costs of H2-BZ could be reduced through scaling, industrializing production and thus generating corresponding quantities.
Market maturity is missing
So far, neither the H2 engine nor the H2-BZ have reached market maturity. When considering the total usage costs, hydrogen concepts are only competitive with conventional diesel vehicles under favorable conditions. For this, “a comprehensive filling station infrastructure for hydrogen and the availability of climate-neutral hydrogen at reasonable costs” are crucial. Research and development funding continues to be necessary for the technologies to ramp up on the market.
Study “System comparison of hydrogen combustion engines and fuel cells in heavy commercial vehicles”
https://www.e-mobilbw.de/fileadmin/media/e-mobilbw/Publikationen/Studien/e-mobilBW-Studie_H2-Systemvergleich.pdf
deep link
https://www.e-mobilbw.de/service/meldungen-detail/neue-studie-der-e-mobil-bw
Photos
Study sees advantages for heavy trucks in the medium term with the H2 engine, in the long term the fuel cell is ahead / © AVL List GmbH
