A perspective on broad deployment of hydrogen-fueled vehicles for ground freight transportation with a comparison to electric vehicles

The pressing global challenge of climate change necessitates a concerted effort to limit greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide. A critical pathway is to replace fossil fuel sources by electrification, including transportation. While electrification of light-duty vehicles is rapidly expanding, the heavy-duty vehicle sector is subject to challenges, notably the logistical drawbacks of the size and weight of high-capacity batteries required for range, as well as the time for battery charging. This Perspective highlights the potential of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as a viable alternative for heavy-duty road transportation. We evaluate the implications of hydrogen integration into the freight economy, energy dynamics, and CO2 mitigation, and envision a roadmap for a holistic energy transition. Our critical opinion presented in this Perspective is that federal incentives to produce hydrogen could foster growth in the nascent hydrogen economy. The pathway that we propose is that initial focus on operators of large fleets that could control their own fueling infrastructure. This opinion was formed from private discussions with numerous stakeholders during the formation of one of the awarded hydrogen hubs if they focus on early adopters that could leverage the hydrogen supply chain. Hydrogen fuel cell trucks offer the potential to reduce carbon emissions from the very large but hard-to-decarbonize road freight sector. The energy transition represents a three-body problem where stakeholders must address fuel availability, fuel infrastructure, and vehicle availability. We propose that the U.S. federal incentives to produce hydrogen address the “first problem” while operators of large point-to-point fleets have competitive advantage to address the “second problem”, enabling the nascent vehicle sector to initiate production. [Display omitted] •Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles present a viable alternative for heavy-duty road transportation, addressing challenges related to electrification.•Fuel cell vehicles demonstrate the potential to replace the internal combustion engine (ICE) in heavy vehicle applications, contributing to emissions reduction and energy diversification.•Development of federally-funded hydrogen hubs in the U.S. will stimulate investments in hydrogen infrastructure, supporting the expansion of hydrogen fueling stations and distribution networks.•Increased adoption of hydrogen-fueled ground freight is foreseeable, fueled by a combination of