Fuel cell buses Fuel cell buses in particular have attracted significant attention and are relatively mature, at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7.84 On-board tanks typically hold around 40 kg of hydrogen stored in the bus roof,48 and reduced space restrictions mean this can be stored at 350 bar, reducing tank and compression costs. Fuel cell buses may have a 10–20% higher total cost of ownership (TCO) than diesel by 2030, and could be cheaper if deployed at scale.85
Fuel cell buses have seen substantial early deployment, with 7 million kilometres of operational experience so far in Europe.86 Europe has 83 operating fuel cell buses, with 44 in North America.87,88 Toyota is planning to introduce over 100 fuel cell buses before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.89 China has the world's largest bus market,90 with 300 fuel cell buses ordered for Foshan City (quadrupling the global fleet of hydrogen powered buses).91 For context, Shenzhen City has electrified its entire fleet of over 16 000 buses using BEVs.92,93
Good progress is being made with longevity, with four London buses operating more than 18 000 hours.87 Ten buses in California have passed 12 000 hours of operation with one reaching 22 400 hours: close to the DOE's ultimate target of 25 000 hours.80,82 Fuel cell bus availability has exceeded 90% in Europe (versus an 85% target), with refuelling station availability averaging 95%.87
Trucks Trucks show considerable potential for fuel cell adoption as high energy requirements mean few low-emission alternatives exist. Light goods vehicles with short low-speed journeys could be managed with batteries and range-extender vehicles;48 however, long-haul heavy vehicles which require high utilisation are likely to require hydrogen. Competition from batteries is nonetheless increasing, with the Tesla Semi expected to offer 300–500 mile range for ∼$200 000.94 Cost parity of fuel cell trucks with other low-carbon alternatives could be achieved with relatively low manufacturing volumes.7 Return-to-base delivery vehicles could see lower fuel costs with a single refuelling depot, although long-range HGVs need an adequate refuelling network.
Higher longevity is required than for other applications due to the high mileage expected of trucks, with one program targeting 50 000 hour stack lifetime.48 High efficiency and low fuel costs are also essential.4 Kenworth and Toyota are considering hydrogen truck production,95,96 and Nikola is also developing a long-distance HGV using liquefied hydrogen in the US.97 Fuel cells are also being developed as Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) for HGVs.48 These could power refrigeration units and ‘hotel’ loads on stationary HGVs (e.g. cabin heating, cooling, lighting, and electrical devices) to avoid engine idling.98
FCEV trucks have seen lower adoption than buses due to the HGV market being highly cost sensitive with limited government support or intervention, and highly conservative with hauliers wary of being pioneers.48 However, Anheuser-Busch InBev (an international drinks company), recently ordered 800 FCEV trucks to be in operation in 2020.99 Interest could grow as diesel trucks begin to be banned from major city centres.
Motorbikes Two-wheeled vehicles are dominant for passenger transport in many regions. Intelligent Energy has developed a 4 kW fuel cell system in cooperation with Suzuki,48 now being trialled in the UK.100 Their low fuel consumption allows them to be refuelled using hydrogen canisters from vending machines. FCEV motorbikes could contribute toward air quality and noise pollution targets.
