Europe’s trucks are a major source of pollution but cleaning them up isn’t a simple one-horse race. According to Daimler Truck, a giant in the commercial vehicle industry, both battery and hydrogen trucks will be needed to win the race to clean roads.
Surprisingly, building charging stations for electric trucks and hydrogen refueling stations might be cheaper than just super-sizing the electricity grid for all-electric trucks. Plus, there just aren’t enough stations of either kind right now. The good news? The European Union has a plan to build hundreds of new hydrogen stations by 2030.
Some folks worry that hydrogen trucks aren’t very efficient because they lose energy during conversion. But Daimler says that if hydrogen is made with solar power in sunny areas, it can be just as efficient as a battery truck using European solar.
There are still hurdles to jump. Hydrogen is not yet cost-competitive with other fuels, and Europe relies on imported energy. The key may lie in driving down operational costs for both electric and hydrogen trucks, perhaps by levying heavier fees on diesel-operated vehicles.
In the end, the future of European roads appears to be one of collaboration between electric and hydrogen trucks, with diesel left behind. As the wheels of change continue to turn, a cleaner, greener horizon beckons.
