Are you a fleet owner looking for more efficient and eco-friendly vehicles to replace your diesel- and gas-powered ones? If so, hydrogen fuel cells might be the solution for fleet owners like yourself. Here’s why:
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1. Commercial Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles Give You More Bang for Your Buck
Switching to commercial hydrogen-powered vehicles should prove to be a savvy investment in the long run. Let’s look at the cost difference now — and what the projected cost will be in the near future.
On the low end of things, conventionally powered truckload carriers pay about 40 cents per mile in fuel costs. On a 60-mile trip, then, their fuel costs would amount to around $24.
Hydrogen-powered trucks, though, can get 60 miles to a kilogram of hydrogen, equivalent to a gallon of combustible fuel, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE). Since a kilogram of hydrogen costs around $13, fleet owners will pay only $13 for the same 60-mile trip. That’s almost half the fuel costs of gas- or diesel-powered commercial vehicles.
That’s not all. If the DOE’s current studies pan out, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will become even more energy-efficient, getting 100 miles on that same kilogram of hydrogen.
Additionally, the agency’s Hydrogen Shot program is working on cutting the cost of hydrogen fuel to only $1 per kilogram. Can you imagine getting a 100-mile trip’s worth of fuel for only a dollar? We can — and we’re excited about the possibility.
2. Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Powered Trucks Fuel Faster than Regular EVs
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Both hydrogen fuel cell-powered and electric trucks and buses run on batteries to power their electric motors. EVs require a direct charge, while hydrogen fuel cells drive a reaction with the oxygen in the air, creating electricity to power the vehicle’s motor.
However, those trucks with only a battery require a lengthy charging time. Not hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles.
Hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks store hydrogen in a tank, like diesel and gas engines. As the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership points out, these vehicles can fuel up in about five minutes — a critical advantage for commercial haulers.
For that reason, the emergence of hydrogen fuel cells has changed the playing field for commercial EV fleets. Getting in on the ground floor of this development can then put your company miles ahead of your competitors.
3. Hydrogen Fuel Cells Emit Only Clean Air, Heat, and Water
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Let’s compare hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles to diesel- and gasoline-powered trucks. Unlike conventional trucks, which spew pollutants into the air, hydrogen cells only emit clean water and heat.
Secondly, hydrogen fuel cells are light compared to internal combustion engines. Additionally, the DOE points out that converting hydrogen’s chemical energy to electricity demonstrates two to three times the efficiency of gas- or diesel-powered models.
These eco-friendly properties even pay off when drivers stop for a snooze on long hauls. Instead of using diesel-powered auxiliary power units or bunk heaters, drivers can keep their trucks running on pure hydrogen, confident that they won’t pollute the air around them.
4. Using Hydrogen Fuel Cells Gives You a Decarbonization Workaround
As a recent Symbio post indicates, low-emission zones (LEZs) are springing up all across the nation’s urban and suburban landscape. These zones require commercial vehicles operating in those areas to meet strict emission standards.
Even if the city you operate out of doesn’t have LEZs, you might need to deliver goods or transport people in areas inside one of those zones. Adding hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles to your fleet can get you around those regulations while saving money on fuel costs.
5. Hydrogen-Fueled Vehicles Help You Meet State Requirements
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Several states, most notably California, have enacted zero-emission requirements for “new passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles” sold in the state. These requirements progress by percentage with each year, starting in 2021.
If your company operates in any of these states, you should consider purchasing hydrogen-fueled vehicles when it’s time to replace one of your older fleet vehicles.
6. Take Advantage of Hydrogen Fuel’s Larger Range Capacity
As the Symbio piece shows, hydrogen fuel cell-powered commercial vehicles have a range that nearly equals their diesel counterparts. Getting anywhere from 249 to 373 miles per tankful, these long-range trucks and buses can travel long distances without a single stop.
When you combine that range capacity with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles’ speed in refueling, your fleet will have a distinct advantage over competitors who use battery-only-powered commercial EVs. Since it takes about 60 minutes for a semi’s battery to charge to 80%, that 55-minute difference can shorten trips considerably.
However, quantum EV charging and megawatt charging could even the playing field for battery-only-operated trucks. Should this technology gain access to the commercial vehicle market, battery-operated EV drivers could enjoy faster charging speeds for their vehicles as well.
7. Hydrogen’s Safety Factor Is Greater than Other Combustible Fuels
If you’re not familiar with hydrogen as a modern-day fuel, your brain might conjure up images of the Hindenburg disaster, in which a lighter-than-air dirigible filled with hydrogen exploded, killing many of its passengers.
Hydrogen fuel cells aren’t giant bags of highly combustible fuel, as was the Hindenburg. Safety standards have come a long way since that incident. From “rigid testing” to developing a controlled process to mix the gas with oxygen, research has increased hydrogen’s safety above other combustible fuels, as Christian Tae shows in his National Resources Defense Council article.
- Hydrogen is lighter than both air and gasoline vapor: Even in the case of a leak, hydrogen will “rise and disperse rapidly,” making it much less likely to drive an explosion than conventional combustible fuels.
- Lower radiant heat than gasoline: Secondary fires occur when the air around a flame gets so hot that it ignites nearby vehicles or structures. Hydrogen’s lower radiant heat factor makes it less likely to cause a huge disaster.
- Higher oxygen requirements than other combustible fuels: Hydrogen requires an oxygen concentration of 18% to 59% to explode, while gasoline, for instance, requires only a 1% to 3% oxygen concentration.
Combining these safety factors with hydrogen fuel cells’ earth-friendly emissions – just water, heat, and clean air – one can easily see that hydrogen is a safer option than diesel, gasoline, or even propane.
