Electric trucks clearly advantageous over hydrogen in road freight transport – report

Battery-electric trucks are the best option to reduce emissions from road freight transport, and market forces are working in their favour, according to a report by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in collaboration with the Technical University of Dresden and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg. While battery-electric trucks are slowly gaining market share, and a growing range of models come onto the market, hydrogen fuel cell models on German roads were "almost non-existent," said the researchers.

Freight transport is responsible for six per cent of Germany's total greenhouse gas emissions, and 40 percent of transport-related emissions – yet trucks lag behind cars in the transition to electric mobility. 2.3 percent of German trucks are battery-powered if heavy trailer trucks are excluded, compared to a hydrogen market share of 0.006 percent, according to DIW. 

The DIW report noted that private investment in truck charging infrastructure was growing. Researchers recommended that the government maintains support for fast-charging points for trucks, but advised against promoting hydrogen in the sector, which would require investment in completely different technology and infrastructure. "Clear communication from federal policymakers on battery-powered trucks as the key technology would give truck manufacturers and operators security on upcoming investments," DIW energy expert Wolf-Peter Schill said.

The researchers also called for changes to greenhouse gas reduction quota regulations, which they said do not reflect the stark difference in efficiency between battery-electric drives and hydrogen alternatives. Battery-electric trucks are much more efficient than those using hydrogen fuel cells, because converting electricity from renewables into hydrogen is highly energy-intensive.

A 2023 Öko-Institute report forecast that, with enough investment in charging infrastructure, all new trucks registered in Germany could be battery-electric by 2035. Industry has said the country needs 4,000 fast-charging points by 2030. However, environmental organisations have criticised the government for investing more in road infrastructure than rail which, they argue, is the best option for reducing emissions and yet still accounts for only a small share of German freight transport.