Green freight, is the future electric or hydrogen?

The debate is not new, but it is more urgent than ever. Shortages in transport labour have been experienced in the West for years. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing gas crisis are triggering international inflation. Due to Covid 19, container delays and bottlenecks are still experienced in important logistics ports worldwide. These are just some of the causes pushing the entire road freight sector to put the near future of fuel on the table.

The International Road Transport Union (IRU) criticised the European Union (EU) for its lack of support for alternative fuels for heavy-duty vehicles. It did so in the context of an analysis of the measures promoted by Brussels with the Fit for 55 plan to meet transport decarbonisation targets.

The main challenge of the Action Plan is to reduce CO2 emissions from trucks by 2050. In fact, between 2025 and 2029, all trucks sold in the European Union will have to emit 15% less CO2 compared to 2019 levels and 30% less from 2030 onwards. By 2050, it is expected that almost all new cars, vans, buses and heavy-duty vehicles will be zero-emission.

Targets that many expect and few are sure to achieve. The debate moves from a carbon-based energy system to an economy based on sustainable fuels. Alternatives have been explored and projects implemented for years, but the overall dilemma is unclear.

Natural gas: a stopgap for a structural, economic and environmental problem

We took natural gas off the table as a feasible option for the Fit for 55 targets. In its favour, we can only say that it is a relatively clean fossil fuel. The fact is that it emits less CO2 and other pollutants than burning coal or oil derivatives. But natural gas is still a limited natural resource, the extraction of which involves damaging the areas surrounding the operation and disturbing the ecosystems in those places.

In addition, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has left us in a situation of energy insecurity in practically the whole of Europe. Months ago, there was even talk of energy rationing scenarios. For many people under 40, this is unimaginable. The EU's goal of reducing its dependence on Russian gas by 66% within a year will require much effort.

They want to achieve this by importing more liquefied natural gas, creating a European platform for joint purchasing and building new infrastructure. And among the many planned measures, the EU is rightly suggesting that we have a unique opportunity to advance the deployment of renewable energies. The whole socio-economic context is pushing for this. It remains to be seen whether they can seize the opportunity.

That said, most of us would agree to go green. But which is the best solution? The two main strands of the debate revolve around hydrogen-based fuel and electric batteries.

The UK takes out pen and paper: electric or hydrogen?

This is the question the UK government has been asking itself. Although they are no longer part of the EU, they will continue to share the objectives of the Fit for 55. So, they recently announced that it would launch a £200 million research project to determine the future of road freight transport.

Over three years, it will study the benefits of a fleet of battery-powered electric trucks and one powered by hydrogen fuel cells. It will also look at the infrastructure needed for each technology. The programme supports the UK government's target for all new HGVs sold by 2040 to be zero-emission.

The debate: which technology is better

Hydrogen fuel cells (HFCs) are an electrochemical power generator that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as by-products. HFCs make energy that can be used to power any vehicle.

Both hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs) use an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine to power the wheels. However, an EV needs to recharge the battery with a plug, while an HFC vehicle must refill its battery with hydrogen at a specialised filling station.

One of the critical factors that tip the balance is that the larger a vehicle is, the longer it takes to charge an electric battery. Unfortunately, the option to increase battery size also increases the weight and cost of the truck, which ultimately reduces the carrying capacity.

Solving this drawback in heavy-duty vehicles is an engineering challenge, which is an advantage in the case of hydrogen. Hydrogen fuel cells have a much higher energy storage density than lithium-ion batteries. This provides more range, less weight and a much shorter recharge time.

It has been calculated that "refuelling a truck with a range of 800 kilometres with hydrogen can be done in just 15 minutes, whereas refuelling a lithium-ion battery to provide the same range can take about six hours with today's refuelling powers."

Investment in hydrogen is trending. The US has already developed 5899 hydrogen vehicles for commercialisation. Companies such as Toyota Mirai, Honda Clarity, Renault-Nissan and General Motors have formed joint production partnerships. Air Liquide last year began construction of its sixth hydrogen station, which will be able to offer high-pressure service for long-haul trucks in Europe.

The reality: infrastructure is the key to the transition to green freight transport.

Of course, Elon Musk would beg to differ. On several occasions, he has called hydrogen fuel cells "stupidity". Meanwhile, Tesla's electric trucks have been in development for years, and although they accept deposits, no product has yet been launched.

But without giving the magnate a pass, it has to be said that hydrogen fuel is not yet perfect. Zero emissions and a green planet come to mind when we think of hydrogen fuel. Nothing could be further from the truth.

According to data from 2019, 99% of hydrogen is produced from hydrocarbons, such as natural gas and coal. In other words, current hydrogen production is an abundant carbon dioxide source. In 2017, global hydrogen production produced more CO2 emissions per year than the entire nation of Germany and the international shipping industry.

We have the solution, but the mode of production fails. So the key is to use renewable energies such as wind or solar to make hydrogen fuel make sense. In other words, the challenge is in the infrastructure.

Three technological hurdles must be overcome to move to a hydrogen economy:

• The cost of generating and transporting green hydrogen must be significantly reduced.
• The cost and short lifetime of fuel cells and other hydrogen-based technologies.
• Creation of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure for vehicles.

Three barriers that, to some extent, also affect lithium-electric batteries in reaching the goal of zero emissions by 2050. It is doubtful that the costs of this technology will become affordable as quickly as predicted.

And it is said that electricity grids will have a problem when they have to cope with charging many heavy vehicles at once and manage this without causing further bottlenecks. Battery supply chain challenges are already very limited in producing electric cars for individuals. For example, manufacturing requires metals available in only certain parts of the world, such as China and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hydrogen or electric, the future must be green.

Among the many opinions, it is clear that hydrogen fuel has a more extended range and is, therefore, suitable for longer journeys. On the other hand, electric battery technology is more ready to be applied earlier, albeit for national and local routes. Will there be a day when this will change?

In any case, we will see electric trucks on the road sooner than we think. Millions of euros are being invested in this.

Volvo Trucks has been producing electric trucks in series production since 2019, covering six models. The production of its batteries is based on the circular economy: they can be reconditioned over time, only replace the necessary modules, and be reused without using third parties.

MAN eTruck models or the Tesla Semi are expected to offer a more extended range, charge at high power ratings, and be genuinely feasible trucks for long-distance journeys.

Mercedes Benz Trucks has jumped on the bandwagon with the design of a fleet of 40-tonne, 500km range electric trucks, set for production in early 2024. The German manufacturer says they will reach power outputs of up to 3MW, enough to recover more than 1000km of range in 20 minutes of plugging in.

What do you think? Will one of this methods triumph over the other, or will they all coexist in the road?

Let us know what you think about this debate in the comments. We're happy to hear from you.

‍