Swapping petrol-powered passenger cars for Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is critical to achieving net zero. But for fleets, could hydrogen fuel be the solution? 

By 2035, you won’t be able to buy a fossil-fuelled-powered vehicle in the UK. While you’ll still be able to run them, who knows how expensive fuel will be by then? It’s clear fleets operators need an alternative, and battery electric vehicles seem suitable, but the recent energy crisis and rocketing electricity costs have identified significant issues. A fleet of BEVs capable of covering all our delivery needs will take up to 10% of present-day energy generation. In an era of energy scarcity, operators are searching for an answer, and it could be hydrogen.

How does hydrogen power vehicles?

Hydrogen-powered vehicles have a lot in common with BEVs. Instead of a rechargeable battery, a hydrogen fuel cell stores the liquid at high pressure. A chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen occurs within the fuel cell, providing power to an electric motor. Hydrogen is abundant, cheap and can be produced sustainably, unlike much of the energy we use. Unlike BEVs, hydrogen fuel cells can be filled up at the pumps in the same way as you would a diesel- or petrol-powered vehicle.

So, what’s the catch? The technology in hydrogen fuel cells is complex and (at the moment) expensive to manufacture. Hydrogen is also highly volatile and must be treated with care. However, hydrogen fuel cells use less rare earth materials than comparably sized batteries and are estimated to cost similar amounts in a few years.

While commercial hydrogen production is in its infancy, experts are confident it can be ramped up quickly. However, there’s a worrying lack of infrastructure to support hydrogen-powered vehicles. In the UK, there are fewer than 20, although generous Government support means more are being added all the time. It could take decades – and billions of pounds of investment – to create a refuelling system as comprehensive as that which exists today for fossil fuels. But we may not need it.

Government research found that 50% of light goods vehicles operate within 15 miles of their base. These hyper-local delivery vehicles, typically located in large towns and cities, are ideal for transitioning to hydrogen power. From a small base, the technology could spread across the UK.

Could hydrogen be the future for fleets?

Fleet buyers are already embracing BEVs, and the number grows every year. In 2020, 30,000 battery-powered vans were sold in Europe. That’s just 2.2% of total sales, but it’s a step in the right direction to achieving the UK’s aim to reduce carbon emissions by 2035. It remains to be seen what the long-term impact of the current instability is on fleets, but in the short term, operators are refurbishing and not replacing fleets.

Could hydrogen fill the gap? The jury is still out. The UK Government hasn’t made its mind up yet. To help, it’s investing over £200m to assess which option (hydrogen-powered fleet or BEVs) is the most realistic alternative to fossil fuels. The results will help to shape the UK’s strategic direction and influence the future of hydrogen.

At a practical level, while there are headline-grabbing announcements from the AA and others about the potential for hydrogen, at the moment, it’s just not practical. However, industry giants such as Toyota, Hyundai and Renault are all investing heavily in hydrogen, so it would be unwise to bet against it. One potential future will see hybrid vehicles combining a battery and hydrogen fuel cell with the operator able to switch between the power systems when required. The next decade promises the rapid development of new powertrain technologies that haven’t been seen for over a century.

By 2035, we’re likely to have various vehicle options, including BEVs, hydrogen-powered vehicles and hybrids. We can only say for sure that in 2035 you won’t be driving a brand-new diesel off a UK forecourt.