Fuel Cell Vans Boosting The Prospects Of Hydrogen Power

Hydrogen is often touted as a potential green energy source, but its prospects have been hampered due to its lack of offering in the passenger car sector. However, experts claim that it can be greatly placed for the industry of commercial vehicles that require covering long distances and carrying heavy loads.

Up until now, the automotive industry’s interest in hydrogen has been a mixed bag. It first made headlines when it promised to revolutionize the passenger car sector, but the talks died down with the passage of time.

Now, hydrogen is once again the talk of the automotive town, with experts claiming it to be better placed for the industry of commercial vehicles that require covering long distances and carrying heavy loads. It is no secret that battery powertrains tend to struggle with commercial vehicles.

However, the interest of LCVs in using hydrogen is also piquing. Electric delivery vehicles need to be much stronger than average cars due to obvious reasons and can benefit from a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain. 

Hydrogen offers a number of advantages as a fuel for commercial vehicles. It is clean, efficient, and has a high energy density. Hydrogen fuel cells also have the potential to significantly extend the range of commercial vehicles compared to battery electric vehicles.

There are several ongoing projects to develop hydrogen fuel cell vans, with a number of leading companies collaborating on the technology. This is likely to result in significant progress being made in the coming years in terms of both performance and costs.

The idea is that fuel cell vans can travel for long periods of time without needing to refuel and can do so without emitting harmful emissions into the atmosphere. This is a major selling point for hydrogen, as commercial vehicles are responsible for a large proportion of harmful emissions released each year.

With this in mind, it’s no surprise that a number of companies are now investing in fuel cell vans, with the aim of bringing them to market in the near future. First hydrogen is one such company, which is working on ‘green hydrogen-powered utility vehicles’ to apply them for commercial purposes. The company launched its first fuel cell van in Europe in 2020.

While the initial cost of fuel cell vans is likely to be higher than traditional diesel-powered vans, the long-term running costs are expected to be lower. This, combined with the environmental benefits, makes them an attractive proposition for businesses that rely on vans for their operations.

In the coming years, it’s likely that we’ll see more and more fuel cell vans on the roads as companies look to capitalize on this new technology. This, in turn, is expected to give a boost to the hydrogen market as demand for gas increases.

Fuel cell vans could play an important role in boosting the prospects for hydrogen as a fuel for road transport. They could help to address some of the challenges associated with using hydrogen, such as the lack of infrastructure, and could help to make hydrogen a more viable option for commercial fleet operators.

Hydrogen has come a long way in recent years and is now being taken seriously by the automotive industry as a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuels. With fuel cell vans set to play a major role in the growth of the hydrogen market, it’s an exciting time for gas.