Hydrogen ‘lagging behind’ in zero-emission transport race, Fleetcheck warns

Date: Wednesday, June 15, 2022   |   Author: Sean Keywood

The adoption of hydrogen as a source of fuel for net zero road transport is lagging too far behind battery electric, according to software firm Fleetcheck.

It said visible signs of progress were almost non-existent, and that the UK Government’s strategy for the fuel appeared to be drifting – something Fleetcheck said could be of particular concern for CV fleets, as it said hydrogen had the potential to be the fuel of choice for vehicles weighing over 3.0t.

Fleetcheck managing director Peter Golding said: “There are unresolved questions surrounding electrification in this part of the market including the massive batteries that would be needed to operate larger commercial vehicles and the impact on charging times and facilities, as well as much-reduced payload.

“Hydrogen has the potential to solve these problems and the first larger vans are now starting to enter production but the refuelling infrastructure to support them in the UK, especially in terms of green hydrogen, is almost non-existent. Unless you are a return-to-base fleet that installs its own refuelling facilities, the potential for adoption is very, very low.

“The fact is that a massively upgraded refuelling infrastructure, concentrating first on urban areas and motorways, is urgently needed. Even if we could work towards a hundred hydrogen stations over the next couple of years, that would be a major step forward.” 



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