Fuel-cell hydrogen long-haul trucks in Europe: a total cost of ownership analysis

This study evaluates the total cost of ownership of fuel cell electric trucks in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Poland, home to more than 75% of HDV registrations in the EU in 2020. The study focuses on long-haul tractor-trailers, the highest-emitting HDV segment in the EU. The TCO includes the costs of truck acquisition, renewable electrolysis hydrogen, diesel fuel, and maintenance, as well as road tolls and other country-specific taxes and levies.A key finding is that FCETs will not achieve TCO parity with their diesel counterparts before 2030 in any of the seven countries. Nonetheless, the TCO gap between the two technologies is significantly narrowed by 2030. The study also finds that fuel cell long-haul trucks can reach TCO parity with their diesel counterparts by 2030 in Europe if the at the pump green hydrogen fuel price is around 4 €/kg, a figure that is 50% lower than the expected hydrogen fuel price by 2030. In this case, hydrogen fuel subsidies will be needed to justify the business case for FCETs in Europe during this decade.