Hydrogen fuel cell for truck: How does it work

Faced with environmental challenges, the transportation industry is increasingly turning to more sustainable solutions. Among these, hydrogen fuel cells stand out for their potential to revolutionize heavy-duty mobility. This up and coming technology offers an alternative to internal combustion engines and batteries and provides a unique solution for the intensive use involving the transport of heavy loads over long distances.

1. What is a hydrogen fuel cell?

The hydrogen fuel cell is a technology that converts hydrogen into electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with water as the only by-product. Unlike internal combustion engines, which burn fuel, or batteries, which store energy, hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity on demand.

What is a hydrogen fuel cell?

Depending on the application and the usage, the vehicles require fuel cell systems with different power ratings. For example, for hydrogen van, fuel cells power ratings can go from 30 to 70 kW, while for heavy trucks covering long distances, some fuel cells can reach outputs of 150 to 300 kW, or even 400 kW. This is the case of the hydrogen-powered heavy-duty truck presented by Symbio at ACT EXPO 2024 as part of the “H2 Central Valley Express” project.

2. Hydrogen fuel cell applications for trucks

The operation of a hydrogen fuel cell in a truck is based on the same principle as in hydrogen vans or in hydrogen buses for which the technology is readily available. In a truck, hydrogen is stored in high-pressure tanks, then converted into electricity by the fuel cell to power the engine. However, the performance requirements for trucks are much higher, due to their need for power to carry heavy loads and range to cover long distances.

3. The advantages of hydrogen fuel cells for trucks

Hydrogen fuel cells is a true zero emission technology with no CO2 and no NOx pollutant emissions, what makes it an ideal solution for reducing the carbon footprint of fleets and meeting increasingly stringent environmental regulations. Because the hydrogen powered fuel cell trucks are electric vehicles from the outset, they benefit from the same low-noise electric driveline as BEVs which provides them with a significant advantage for urban transport too.

Hydrogen fuel cell trucks offer a number of advantages, particularly for long-distance haulage:

They offer far greater range, with the capacity to cover several hundred kilometers on a single tank of hydrogen. Moreover, the distance capacity remains unchanged regardless of the ambient temperature.
Refueling time is much faster, similar to that of a full tank of diesel, which considerably reduces downtime compared with battery recharging.
Payload is preserved, as the fuel cell powertrain is similar in weight and dimensions to that of combustion-powered solutions. On the other hand, battery technology adds weight to the vehicle, which means reduced load capacity, additional particulate emissions from tires and brakes, and a greater impact on road wear.
Hydrogen fuel cells offer a flexibility for fleets operating in a wide range of conditions. There are no operational changes for the user, as the driving and refueling experience is similar to that of combustion-powered vehicles.

4. Challenges facing the industry

Despite their many advantages, hydrogen fuel cells for trucks face a number of challenges that are holding back their widespread adoption.

The main obstacle is the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, which is still very limited in many regions. While fuel cell buses and light commercial vehicles already benefit from stations in some major cities, trucks, struggle to find suitable refuelling points outside major metropolitan areas even on main roads. In addition, as of today the TCO of hydrogen-powered trucks remain high. It is expected that it should reach parity with ICE and battery technologies by 2030 - 2032, with hydrogen costing between 6-7 euros per kilogram and fuel cell technology prices decreasing with mass production.

However, the future of this technology is promising, thanks to government initiatives and subsidies in many countries. States like California, leading the way in the transition to clean energy, are actively subsidizing hydrogen infrastructure and encouraging the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell trucks. In Europe, similar programs support research and deployment of this technology to secure the value chain and the energy industry is getting organized to develop H2 refueling infrastructure. Projects are springing up, aiming to set up a hundred or so recharging stations on the major European road haulage corridors by 2033. This financial support, combined with companies' commitment to more sustainable logistics, points to a future in which today's challenges will be overcome, enabling hydrogen-powered trucks to play a central role in tomorrow's transport.

In a few words

Hydrogen fuel cells represent a promising solution to the environmental and economic challenges of freight transport, particularly for trucks. By combining superior range, fast refuelling times and preserved payload, this technology offers the best of both worlds : the performance and ease of use of internal combustion engines and a zero-emission-alternative to battery electric vehicles. Admittedly, major obstacles, such as lack of infrastructure and high costs, still need to be overcome. However, with increasing government support through subsidies and clean energy initiatives, the deployment of hydrogen-powered trucks is well on the way. For fleet managers and truck manufacturers, hydrogen could well be the key to a more sustainable future, offering an answer to energy needs while meeting the ecological requirements of modern transport.

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