Are hydrogen vehicles friend or foe for manufacturers?

The clock is ticking on the UK government’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in its aim to reduce harmful emissions, and this has given a greater focus on which powertrains will be replacements – and whether hydrogen vehicles are a viable option. 

The ban is only five years away, which is not a long time in the production stages of a new vehicle or powertrain strategy – so the time pressure is on for manufacturers, for both passenger and commercial vehicles, to choose a lane. 

Hydrogen vehicles or battery electric vehicles? Manufacturers have a dilemma  

How do vehicle manufacturers decide which is right for them?  

The issue is that changes in powertrain strategy are expensive and risky. 

Do they play it safer with battery electric, where vehicle sales appear to justify the financial investment in building the charging infrastructure and numerous new model launches? 

Or do they place their faith in hydrogen, whether that is fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) or hydrogen combustion engines, which have yet to see mass uptake, but have some obvious advantages? 

Or do they back both electric and hydrogen? 

The dilemma comes in the timescales manufacturers work to – production timelines are in years, so changing course is a big commitment – or a big gamble. 

The pros for hydrogen vehicles 

Are hydrogen vehicles the future? 

There are well documented advantages of hydrogen over battery electric vehicles, such as a longer driving range, faster refuelling and a driving experience similar to conventional cars. 

These benefits make it a great fit, in theory, for commercial vehicles. Hydrogen-powered vans can drive for up to 600 miles, while the vehicle payload and available cargo volume isn’t impacted.  

And it’s these advantages that demonstrate how hydrogen vehicles could have an important part to play in future, as Hydrogen Council is predicting that there could be 13 million fuel cell vehicles operating globally within 5 years. 

Vehicle manufacturers are already putting their stakes in the ground as to which alternative fuel/s they back, with some major players like Toyota showing confidence in hydrogen as part of its powertrain strategy. 

Meanwhile, innovative technology and ground-breaking partnerships are making big advances. 

For example, Red Marlin’s work with zero emission vehicle range prediction specialists Spark EV Technology, saw the announcement of their collaboration with AVL, one of the world’s leading mobility technology companies for development, simulation, and testing in the automotive industry. 

The partnership saw the launch of a new technology targeted at optimising hydrogen fuel consumption for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV), initially in the commercial vehicle market, to offer enhanced efficiency and reduced costs, helping the transition to zero emission vehicles. 

These types of partnerships position hydrogen as playing a ‘a critical role in the energy mix for commercial vehicles’ – but there are barriers to its adoption. 

Some sectors are sceptical  

The UK currently has only 16 hydrogen fuel stations – that’s one fuel station for every 3.3 million drivers! 

The production of hydrogen is expensive and energy intensive, raising questions over its suitability as a sustainable option over pure electric.  

And even if this investment was made, there is a storage challenge, as it has to be transported under high pressure or in liquid form, which requires advanced (and costly) technology to prevent leaks and ensure safety. 

There is clearly a lack of infrastructure for hydrogen, and questions also remain around it being proven long-term. 

It’s the chicken and egg dilemma – buyers are reluctant due to lack of products, services or awareness, and sellers are wary to enter a market without the demand or commercial viability. 

So, who’s going to blink first? At the moment, it seems that some eyes are tightly shut when it comes to advancing hydrogen. 

Ongoing debate 

Decarbonisation is a hot topic where manufacturers would, no doubt, benefit from greater guidance and clarity.  

There will clearly be no silver bullet as a solution for future mobility, and with such pressing concerns over sustainability, for both manufacturers and motorists, no potential solution should be ignored. 

Supporters will put their case at the Hydrogen Tech Expo at the end of March at Silverstone, where Red Marlin will be attending to explore the latest developments in the hydrogen economy. 

From this, we’ll have further clarity on whether hydrogen really is friend or foe for vehicle manufacturers, and will provide our findings on a future blog, so watch this space. 

In the meantime, if your organisation can benefit from our environmental PR expertise in the automotive sector, then please get in touch.