Electricity vs hydrogen in the transition towards sustainable mobility

Abstract Currently, the transport and automotive industry sectors are at a crossroads moving away from fossil fuels to various alternatives increasing the global competition on vehicle markets and for resources. Over the last years, electrification of mobility has emerged as one of the major strategies that, accompanied with supporting measures, has led to rapid increase in the number of electric vehicles. Recently, hydrogen and hydrogen derivates as alternative fuels have also gained more interest and are considered to grow substantially in the near future as their production costs are decreasing. Here, we discuss the electric and hydrogen pathways towards zero-emission vehicles and sustainable mobility focusing on their benefits and challenges in the transition. We conclude that the future relevance of zero-emission vehicles will be heavily dependent on the policy framework, investments, and long-term visions. The transport sector is presently slowly moving away from fossil fuels towards greener fuels and low-carbon technologies. Currently, electrification of mobility is seen as one of the major strategies for the decarbonization of the transport sector. In addition, hydrogen as an alternative fuel is becoming of interest especially for the decarbonization of the transport modes, which are difficult for electrification. This paper provides discussion on the electric and hydrogen pathways towards zero-emission vehicles and sustainable mobility. We conclude that the future relevance of zero-emission vehicles will be heavily dependent on the policy framework, investments, and long-term visions. Graphical Abstract Graphical Abstract