Which will be the engine of the future?

Summary

The script discusses the environmental impact of truck transportation and the race between battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks to achieve zero emissions. It highlights the challenges of heavy-duty vehicles, such as range and load capacity, and how advancements in battery technology and charging infrastructure are making electric trucks more viable. The debate over whether to focus on one solution or both is presented, with the recognition that both technologies are essential for decarbonizing the sector and meeting climate targets.

Takeaways

• 🚚 Trucks are essential to commerce, yet their current reliance on fossil fuels is detrimental to the environment.
• 🌍 In Europe, trucks and buses contribute significantly to transport emissions despite being a small percentage of vehicles on the road.
• 🔋 The push for zero-emission trucks is focusing on two main power sources: batteries and hydrogen fuel cells.
• 🚗 Initially, there were concerns about the feasibility of using large batteries in trucks due to their weight, cost, and the potential for limited cargo space.
• 🔄 Hydrogen fuel cells were considered a promising alternative, offering emissions-free operation with only heat and water as byproducts.
• ⚡ The energy required to produce pure hydrogen is significant, but hydrogen trucks can still achieve substantial emission reductions compared to diesel trucks.
• 🛠️ Advances in battery technology have made them more affordable and efficient, with improved energy density allowing for greater range from the same battery size.
• 🔌 Researchers are developing fast-charging systems for heavy-duty trucks, aiming to reduce charging times to as little as 15 minutes.
• 💰 The automotive industry's investment in electric vehicles has driven down the cost of batteries, making electric trucks more economically viable.
• 🔌 Battery-powered trucks are more energy-efficient than hydrogen trucks, with less energy loss from electricity generation to the wheels.
• 🏦 The total cost of ownership for battery-powered trucks is competitive and could become even more so as technology advances.
• 🌳 Battery electric trucks, when powered by clean energy, can achieve significant emission savings, nearing a 92% reduction.
• 🔄 The debate between battery and hydrogen trucks is ongoing, with hydrogen supporters arguing that it may be better suited for extremely heavy loads over long distances.
• 🛣️ Infrastructure for both technologies needs significant expansion, including charging and refueling stations, to support the transition to zero-emission trucks.
• 📉 The cost of hydrogen production is a critical factor, with the potential for cost reduction as production scales up.
• 📉 The future of trucking is uncertain, with questions remaining about battery advancements, charging speed, and the availability of green hydrogen.

Q & A

What is the primary concern with the current operation of trucks in relation to the environment?

The primary concern is that the current operation of trucks, especially in Europe, contributes significantly to transport emissions, which are increasing due to the need to move more freight around, and this is harmful to the planet.

What are the two main options for powering zero-emission trucks?

The two main options for powering zero-emission trucks are electric motors, which can be powered by either batteries or hydrogen.

What challenges do trucks face that are different from passenger cars in terms of adopting electric motors?

Trucks face unique challenges such as the need to drive further distances and carry much heavier loads, which can affect the feasibility of using large batteries and the time required for charging or refueling.

Why were batteries initially thought to be impractical for heavy-duty vehicles?

Batteries were initially considered too expensive, too heavy, and too large for heavy-duty vehicles. There were concerns that the massive batteries needed would compromise cargo capacity and might not last for long journeys without recharging.

How do fuel cells work and what are their advantages for trucks?

Fuel cells work by combining stored hydrogen and oxygen from the air to produce electricity, which can power a truck. Their advantages include not compromising cargo capacity, having refueling times similar to diesel trucks, and producing only heat and water as byproducts.

What is the current limitation of hydrogen production in terms of its use as a fuel for trucks?

The current limitation of hydrogen production is that it requires a lot of energy to produce pure hydrogen for fuel use, and the production is mostly not done with renewable energy, which limits the overall emission reduction benefits.

How have advancements in battery technology affected the feasibility of battery-powered trucks?

Advancements in battery technology have made batteries cheaper and improved their energy density, allowing trucks to achieve more range from the same size battery pack. Additionally, research into megawatt charging systems aims to reduce charging times significantly.

What is the main advantage of battery-powered trucks in terms of operating costs compared to hydrogen trucks?

Battery-powered trucks are cheaper to operate because they are more efficient, with less energy loss in the process of charging the battery and powering the motor, compared to the energy conversion and transportation losses associated with hydrogen fuel cells.

What is the current market share of battery-powered trucks and what is the projection for the future?

Currently, battery-powered trucks represent less than 1% of sales in most countries. However, projections indicate that they will make up a significant majority of the European market by 2050.

What are some of the infrastructure challenges that need to be addressed for the widespread adoption of zero-emission trucks?

The infrastructure challenges include the scarcity of hydrogen refueling stations and the lack of high-power charging stations for trucks. Regulations and investments are needed to expand this infrastructure to support the transition to zero-emission trucks.

What are some of the potential solutions to make battery-powered trucks more viable for very heavy cargo on long journeys?

Potential solutions include the development of industry-wide battery-swap systems and the installation of electric road systems that allow trucks to collect electricity from overhead contact lines, similar to trams or trains.

Outlines

00:00

🚚 The Environmental Impact of Trucks and the Race for Zero Emissions

This paragraph discusses the significant role trucks play in commerce, moving goods across cities and countries. However, their contribution to transport emissions is a major environmental concern. The text explores the need for zero-emission trucks and the two primary options for achieving this: electric motors powered by batteries and hydrogen. Challenges specific to trucks, such as longer distances and heavier loads, are highlighted. Felipe Rodriguez, an expert in reducing the climate impact of heavy-duty vehicles, discusses the initial skepticism about batteries due to their perceived high cost, weight, and size. The paragraph also touches on the potential of fuel cells, which use hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity with minimal emissions, and the current limitations in hydrogen production and refueling infrastructure.

05:03

🔋 The Evolution of Battery Technology and Its Impact on Trucking

This paragraph delves into the rapid advancements in battery technology, which have made them more affordable and efficient. The text contrasts the initial doubts about the feasibility of using batteries for heavy-duty trucks with the current reality where batteries are becoming a viable option. Researchers are working on fast-charging systems to reduce charging times for trucks, making them more practical for long-haul operations. The paragraph also highlights the economic benefits of battery-powered trucks, which are not only cheaper to operate but also have lower total costs of ownership compared to fuel cell trucks. David Cebon from the University of Cambridge emphasizes the broader industry support for batteries in passenger cars, which is driving down costs and improving technology. The efficiency of energy use in battery-powered trucks is also discussed, showing that they lose less energy in the conversion process compared to hydrogen fuel cell trucks.

10:05

⚡ The Future of Zero Emission Trucks: Batteries vs. Hydrogen

The final paragraph addresses the ongoing debate between battery-powered and hydrogen-powered trucks. It acknowledges that while battery-powered trucks are currently leading in terms of market adoption and technological development, hydrogen trucks still have potential in niche applications, particularly for very heavy loads over long distances. The text discusses potential solutions to enhance the viability of battery-powered trucks, such as battery-swap systems and electric road systems. The importance of infrastructure development for both technologies is emphasized, with a focus on the need for more charging and refueling stations. The paragraph also touches on the regulatory environment, highlighting the role of EU laws in promoting the deployment of necessary infrastructure. Finally, the economic considerations for hydrogen production and the potential for cost reductions as production scales up are discussed, concluding that both technologies are essential in achieving climate targets.

Keywords

💡Zero Emissions

Zero emissions refers to the absence of any release of pollutants into the atmosphere, often associated with vehicles that do not emit greenhouse gases or other harmful emissions. In the context of the video, zero emissions is the goal for future trucks to reduce their impact on the environment. The script discusses the transition to electric motors in trucks to achieve this, highlighting the importance of reducing transport emissions.

💡Electric Motors

Electric motors are devices that convert electrical energy into mechanical energy, commonly used in electric vehicles. The script emphasizes the shift towards electric motors in trucks as a means to achieve zero emissions, powered by either batteries or hydrogen, and discusses the challenges and advancements in this technology.

💡Batteries

Batteries are energy storage devices that can be recharged and discharged multiple times. In the video, batteries are presented as a power source for electric trucks, overcoming initial preconceptions of being too expensive, heavy, and large. The script also mentions improvements in battery technology, such as cheaper costs and higher energy density.

💡Hydrogen

Hydrogen is a chemical element that can be used as a fuel, particularly in fuel cells. The script discusses hydrogen as an alternative power source for trucks, where it is stored and used in fuel cells to produce electricity, with water and heat as the only byproducts.

💡Fuel Cells

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy from a fuel, such as hydrogen, into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. The video explains how fuel cells can be used in trucks to generate power without emissions, but also points out the energy losses in the hydrogen production and distribution process.

💡Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Heavy-duty vehicles are large vehicles designed for heavy transport, such as trucks and buses. The script focuses on the environmental impact of these vehicles, which are responsible for a significant portion of transport emissions, and the need to reduce their emissions through the adoption of zero-emission technologies.

💡EV Charging Infrastructure

EV charging infrastructure refers to the network of charging stations and related equipment needed to recharge electric vehicles. The script discusses the need for expanded infrastructure to support electric trucks, including high-power charging stations that can charge heavy-duty vehicles in a short amount of time.

💡Hydrogen Refueling Stations

Hydrogen refueling stations are facilities that provide hydrogen fuel for vehicles equipped with fuel cells. The video script points out the scarcity of these stations, especially in certain regions of Europe, and the need for their expansion to support hydrogen-powered trucks.

💡Total Cost of Ownership

Total cost of ownership is a financial estimate of the total costs related to the purchase, operation, maintenance, and disposal of an asset, such as a vehicle. The script mentions that, despite a higher upfront cost, battery-powered trucks have a lower total cost of ownership due to cheaper operation and maintenance costs.

💡Regulations

Regulations are rules or directives made and maintained by an authority. In the context of the video, regulations are discussed as a driving force for the adoption of zero-emission trucks, with the European Union setting targets for the deployment of charging and refueling stations and revising CO2 standards for trucks.

💡Climate Targets

Climate targets are goals set by governments or organizations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. The script concludes by emphasizing the importance of decarbonizing the transport sector to meet climate targets, suggesting that both electric and hydrogen trucks contribute to this goal.

Highlights

Trucks are the backbone of commerce but contribute significantly to transport emissions.

Europe's trucks and buses produce a large portion of transport emissions despite being a small fraction of vehicles on the road.

The push for zero-emission trucks involves the use of electric motors powered by batteries or hydrogen.

Trucks face unique challenges due to their need to carry heavy loads and travel long distances.

Preconceived notions about the limitations of batteries for heavy-duty vehicles have been challenged.

Fuel cells, using hydrogen, were considered a more viable option due to their efficiency and quick refueling.

Hydrogen trucks can reduce emissions by up to 33% and even more if hydrogen is produced with renewable energy.

The cost and infrastructure for producing and distributing hydrogen remain significant challenges.

Batteries have seen rapid improvements in cost, energy density, and charging times.

High-scale investment in electric vehicles has driven down the cost of batteries.

Battery-powered trucks are more efficient to operate than hydrogen trucks, with less energy loss.

The total cost of ownership for battery-powered trucks is becoming competitive with diesel trucks.

Battery-powered trucks have the potential to be cheaper than diesel trucks by 2030.

Emissions savings from battery-powered trucks are substantial, especially when powered by clean energy.

Despite advancements, battery-powered trucks still represent less than 1% of sales, but projections show significant growth by 2050.

Manufacturers are investing in both battery and hydrogen technologies, not as alternatives but as complementary solutions.

Hydrogen truck proponents argue that for extremely heavy loads and long distances, hydrogen may have an advantage.

Innovative solutions like battery swapping and electric road systems are being explored to enhance the viability of battery-powered trucks.

Infrastructure expansion is crucial for the adoption of zero-emission trucks, with different needs for hydrogen and electric charging.

Regulations and policies are essential to guide the transition to zero-emission trucks and provide certainty for investments.

The cost of green hydrogen production is a significant factor, with potential for cost reduction as production scales up.

The transition to zero-emission trucks involves uncertainties but is imperative for decarbonizing the transport sector.

Transcripts

Think of all the stuff you come into contact within one day.

This stuff didn't come out of nowhere.

In most cases, it made a journey that crossed city limits

or even country borders.

And one leg of the trip likely involved one of these.

You could call trucks the backbone of commerce.

Unfortunately, the way they work right now

is very unhealthy for the planet.

Just look at Europe where trucks and buses

barely make up any of the vehicles on the road.

But they're responsible for a huge chunk

of transport emissions.

Which keeps going up because more and more freight

needs to be moved around.

Our best bet is to make these zero emissions.

And that means electric motors.

They can be powered with two options

you already know from the car industry:

Batteries and hydrogen.

But trucks face a different set of challenges

than passenger cars.

They usually drive further and carry much heavier loads.

So which system will win the race for the truck of the future?

Or do we need both?

If you talked about zero emission trucks just a few years ago,

you might have been...

"...laughed out of the room."

This is Felipe Rodriguez.

He works to reduce the climate impacts of heavy duty vehicles.

There were many preconceived notions about

what batteries could do and what batteries were.

So batteries are too expensive,

batteries are too heavy,

batteries are too big."

The idea was that the massive batteries needed

to power these big trucks

would compromise how much cargo they could carry.

Transporting heavy loads would make the batteries

run out mid-journey.

Freight operators often have tight profit margins.

Time is money

and they don't really want to waste it on hours of charging.

So the focus shifted to fuel cells.

These devices essentially work like batteries

that run on stored hydrogen and oxygen from the air.

They can produce enough electricity to power a truck.

And their only byproducts are heat and water.

Of course it takes a lot of energy to produce pure hydrogen

so that it can be used as fuel.

But even then, a hydrogen truck produces up to

33% fewer emissions across its lifecycle

than its diesel counterpart.

The savings are much greater

if the hydrogen is produced with renewable energy.

But that's barely happening.

Simply speaking:

Hydrogen trucks can reduce emissions without compromising

cargo capacity or requiring long breaks.

"Refueling a hydrogen truck is more or less the same

as refueling your diesel truck."

Volker Hasenberg manages the hydrogen strategy

at Daimler Truck.

"You have a station.

You store your energy on board in the truck.

And this takes a couple of minutes."

So at first sight,

hydrogen fuel cells look like a slam-dunk solution for trucks.

But here's the thing.

All these assumptions about batteries...

"too expensive, too heavy."

... are already kind of outdated.

"What has happened in the past few years is –

let's say mind-boggling."

Batteries have become much cheaper very quickly.

And their energy density has improved.

That means a truck can get much more range

from the same size battery pack.

Researchers are also working on megawatt charging systems

for heavy-duty trucks.

The aim:

To reduce the charging time from several hours

to as little as 15 minutes.

This would allow truck drivers to charge the vehicles

during their mandated driving break,

which of course varies around the world.

Though that's still a massive challenge

in terms of infrastructure.

What swung the pendulum in favor of battery-electric motors

was high-scale investment in EVs like these.

Because when it comes to greener passenger cars,

most governments and producers are betting on batteries.

"It's a whole automotive industry really

which is bringing down the cost of batteries."

David Cebon researches road transport engineering

at the University of Cambridge.

"But only a small industry, relatively small number of players

working on engineering of fuel cells and hydrogen storage

and hydrogen delivery."

Battery-powered trucks also have the advantage

that they're cheaper to operate than hydrogen trucks.

Because they're more efficient.

You see, to power a fuel cell with green hydrogen,

you need to turn electricity into hydrogen,

transport that to refueling stations

and pump it into a fuel cell

which then turns it back into electricity.

Roughly 60% of energy is lost on the way.

Compare that to a fully electric truck.

It needs energy to charge a battery,

which then powers the motor.

Only about 20% is lost.

"When you compare those two strategies,

the hydrogen fuel cell strategy

uses three times more electricity, green electricity,

to generate one kWh at the wheels of the vehicle.

You have to have three times more wind turbines,

three times more solar panels,

or three times more nuclear power stations."

The fact that battery electric trucks are cheaper to operate

makes a huge difference.

It compensates for the investment up front to buy the vehicle,

which is high.

Higher than for fuel cell trucks.

So if you look at the total cost of ownership,

the sum of all the expenses for a vehicle across its lifecycle,

battery-powered trucks come out looking pretty good.

More importantly, they could become even cheaper

than diesel trucks before 2030.

Look just how fast this is happening

for long-distance tractor trailers across Europe.

Of course battery-powered trucks have the added bonus

of emitting way less than their diesel counterparts.

They can be powered by an electricity mix

of fossil fuels and renewables.

That saves about 63% in emissions.

If they are powered with clean energy only, that saves 92%.

As battery technologies develop rapidly, this begs the question:

Is the race between electric and hydrogen trucks already over?

And what does that mean?

In most countries, battery-powered trucks still represent

less than 1% of sales.

But projections say they will make up a vast majority

of the European market by 2050.

And manufacturers like Daimler and Volvo

who are betting on hydrogen

are not betting on it instead of batteries.

But in addition to batteries.

But apart from workplace banter,

should truckmakers be investing in hydrogen,

after all we've seen?

"It's a very interesting debate

because you have massive multinational corporations

arriving at very different conclusions."

Hydrogen truck producers basically want

another leg to stand on.

They are betting that battery-powered trucks

will never develop enough to carry extremely heavy loads

across several thousands of kilometers.

Because more cargo requires more energy.

"Think about machines,

think about construction,

think about,

in general, what weighs a lot.

When the threshold is the weight,

not the space to be transported,

then we have an advantage for hydrogen trucks."

At that point, opponents say:

That is a very niche application

to warrant a whole separate system.

"You've got to make all your infrastructure, your filling stations

and everything available on a small proportion of trucking."

So are there ways to make battery-powered trucks

more viable for very heavy cargo on long journeys?

Operators could swap out battery packs

instead of waiting to recharge them.

That would probably require

industry-wide cooperation on battery-swap systems though.

Another option

would be to install electric road systems in some parts.

They would allow trucks to collect electricity

from overhead contact lines –

like you may have seen trains or trams do.

And it could make it easier to drive through remote areas

where there might not be charging stations.

That brings us to our next point:

infrastructure.

It needs to expand a lot – for either technology –

if zero emissions trucks are to take over.

Hydrogen refueling stations are still extremely scarce,

with entire regions in Europe not having any at all.

When it comes to EV charging,

there is more solid infrastructure in place

for passenger cars.

BUT the kind of high power charging that trucks need

is almost completely missing.

In the European Union,

that's where this law could come into play.

It sets specific targets for member states to deploy

more charging and refueling stations in the coming years.

"So we see that big companies are now springing up

to say like alright, we're going to cover that need

because we see that this business will come, right,

because the regulatory decisions, the policy,

creates certainty for us to make those investments."

Regulations that signal to businesses

that this is where the future of trucks is headed are vital.

They take some risk out of this big transition.

The same needs to happen to spur manufacturers

into mass-producing zero emissions trucks.

Because at the moment not enough are being produced

for fleet operators to make the switch.

So, the EU is looking to revise its CO2 standards for trucks.

While it doesn't put an end to internal combustion engines,

the proposal wants new heavy-duty vehicles

to emit 90% less by 2040.

Both battery and fuel cell trucks

need to tackle their infrastructure and supply.

But there is one challenge specific to hydrogen trucks.

And that's the price of the fuel.

"We need to commercialize the production of hydrogen.

Currently, when you're talking about green hydrogen,

we are producing hydrogen at very small scale.

And it's a simple thing.

When you enlarge your production side,

you can bring costs down."

This is where estimates diverge quite a bit.

Some projections are optimistic...

while others say it'll stay expensive for the next decades.

So the falling price of hydrogen is yet another MAYBE

in a long list of uncertainties during this transition.

Because to get all the stuff to us that we use every day

without all those emissions,

some big questions still need answering.

How much cheaper and smaller can batteries get?

How fast can they be charged?

And will there ever be enough green hydrogen?

Either way...

"We need to do something to decarbonize the sector.

We need to do it quickly."

It looks like pure electric trucks are way ahead of hydrogen

in the race to deliver our future goods.

But they are both bringing us closer to the same finish line:

To reach our climate targets.

And you might want to stay tuned because

there could still be some surprises along the way.

"So, should companies be betting on batteries and hydrogen.

Or is it best to focus on one solution?

Let us know what you think

and don't forget to subscribe to our channel."