Hydrogen internal combustion engine trucks and electrified trucks: allies not enemies.
Tackling climate change is the most critical challenge for industry and policymakers alike. The 2030 objectives that the European Commission has set out are ambitious, but certainly necessary, and all the actors in the road transport sector will have to collaborate to address this challenge.
Nadège Leclercq is the Senior Director of Government Relations and Market Development at Westport Fuel Systems.
The electrification of passenger cars has shown great consumer response, and the market for electric cars is at an all-time high. Heavy-duty applications, however, present a more challenging proposition for battery electric technologies, or for any singular technology solution.
There are more than 6 million heavy-duty trucks in the EU alone, with a projected growth of more than 30% by 2050. These vehicles require a vast amount of energy: electrifying the whole heavy-duty fleet means massively increasing green electricity production in the EU, green energy that will be fully dedicated to this purpose and not directed to households or industries.
If we consider that the whole of the EU’s heavy-duty fleet has consumed around 640 TWh of energy in 2020, we understand that the challenge to decarbonise road transport is arduous.
Much attention has also been paid to the potential of future technologies, such as fuel cells, that have yet to be demonstrated commercially, with the expectation that they can alone deliver on the EU’s climate goals for heavy-duty vehicles.
We believe that there are cost-effective solutions available today that are fully compatible with Europe’s long-term climate ambition and could deliver near zero CO2 emissions here and now.
Fast-tracking the decarbonisation of heavy-duty transport
Hydrogen is recognised as a valuable low carbon fuel for future use in heavy-duty vehicles. At Westport Fuel Systems, we are developing advanced hydrogen internal combustion engine systems specifically for this use.
Our proprietary HPDITM fuel system, used with hydrogen (H2 HPDITM), is a solution that offers compelling advantages over hydrogen use with fuel cells, especially when it comes to market-readiness and cost effectiveness. Prototype engines with Westport’s technology have been built and are undergoing further development to reduce NOX and other air pollutants; they are a reality and have a clear path to market readiness.
We unveiled one of the first demonstration heavy-duty trucks in Brussels at our event on September 28, 2022, where EU policymakers, industry stakeholders, associations’ representatives and journalists were present to experience first-hand how this technology could aid in the future decarbonisation of the industry.
David Johnson, CEO of Westport, stated that advanced internal combustion engines with fuels such as hydrogen and biomethane “can deliver a realistic solution to combat climate change sooner rather than later without compromising the efficiency, range or load capacity of heavy-duty vehicles”.
Thomas Fabian, ACEA’s Director for Commercial Vehicles, stressed:
We need to move away from fossil powered engines and ensure that alternative low- and especially zero-emission powertrains become the ‘backbone’ of commercial road transport systems as soon as possible.
At Westport, we believe that this alternative will secure climate benefits sooner than future technologies such as fuel cell or battery electric trucks and does so more cost effectively.
Furthermore, by extending the life of conventional manufacturing and supply chains, advanced internal combustion engines can accelerate hydrogen adoption in the transport sector.
In fact, a wide adoption of hydrogen internal combustion engines could lead to faster hydrogen demand creation across the EU, which could reduce GHG emissions before battery electric trucks reach the needed technology maturity for heavy-duty applications.
We believe that in the future all these complementary solutions will meet the wide range of operational demands that characterise commercial logistics businesses, delivering a comprehensive solution to the climate neutrality challenge.
How the EU can help accelerating the decarbonisation of heavy-duty vehicles
A one-size-fits-all answer is always appealing in principle but is not practical. A diverse suite of vehicle technologies and energy sources is better suited to meet the operational needs of a decarbonised heavy-duty vehicle market.
This must include advanced internal combustion engines using both biomethane and hydrogen, alongside electrified powertrains relying on hydrogen or renewable electricity because it fast-tracks the decarbonisation of the whole sector.
The ability of hydrogen internal combustion engines to generate early and persistent demand for green hydrogen, as well as to assist the expansion of hydrogen production and refuelling infrastructure, should be acknowledged and supported. It is critical that modern internal combustion engines, batteries, and fuel cells work together to deliver an efficient decarbonisation strategy for heavy-duty vehicles across the EU.
In order to do so, it will also be crucial to present a balanced approach between tighter standards for air pollutants and the ambition for increased CO2 reductions from the new heavy-duty vehicle fleet. It is only with these measures that we will enable the European heavy-duty segment of road transport to secure early and efficient GHG reductions by 2030 and beyond.
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Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Trucks and Electrified Trucks: Allies not Enemies, October 26, 2022