Until now, the focus has mainly been on battery-electric (BEV) vehicles, which are now entering the market. However, the energy transition for heavy transport cannot be achieved by betting on a single horse.
Why One Solution Is Not Enough
The rapid rollout of BEVs in heavy transport faces fundamental challenges. The necessary electrical infrastructure is lagging behind:
- The deployment of charging stations with sufficient power for heavy transport is too slow.
- The combination of fluctuating energy supply (solar and wind) and the enormous demand from heavy transport is overloading our electricity grid.
- For many transport applications, particularly long-haul transport, there is still no viable business case due to reliance on public charging infrastructure.
This creates a significant risk that we will fail to meet our binding climate targets. Hydrogen can offer an essential way out, enabling both large-scale energy storage and serving as the ideal fuel for heavy-duty mobility. Given the three points above, we must acknowledge that the transition to sustainable mobility also requires hydrogen—especially for heavy vehicles.
The development of hydrogen in this segment is both logical and necessary for several reasons:
- Hydrogen trucks offer a greater driving range than BEV trucks, making them ideal for long-distance transport.
- Hydrogen trucks are only marginally heavier than diesel trucks. This means axle loads and tire wear will hardly increase. Moreover, this brings a major advantage for our infrastructure, including roads and civil engineering structures.
- Hydrogen trucks have operational characteristics comparable to diesel trucks. This means minimal adjustments in logistics planning, maximizing vehicle uptime and ease of use.
- Existing diesel trucks can be relatively easily converted to hydrogen, accelerating the transition.
- Establishing a hydrogen (H₂) infrastructure for heavy transport is considerably simpler and more cost-effective than developing the required electric infrastructure.
The Price of Green Hydrogen
Although nearly all European truck manufacturers already have hydrogen trucks ready for the market, the biggest challenge lies in the cost and availability of green hydrogen. The current price is too high to create a viable business case for transport operators. This is the classic chicken-and-egg problem I mentioned earlier:
- With a current cost price of around €20 per kilogram, green hydrogen is too expensive for transport operators. To make the business case profitable, the price needs to drop toward €4 per kilogram.
- Transport operators are waiting to purchase large volumes until the price decreases.
- The price will only decrease once production and consumption occur on a large scale.
To break this vicious circle, close cooperation between government and industry is essential to bring down the cost per kilogram. This would pave the way for the large-scale use of independent European and Dutch clean energy in the transport sector.
Choosing Autonomy?
The choice is urgent. While Asian manufacturers are entering the European market, it is becoming increasingly difficult for our own players to reduce their fleet emissions. The penalties for failing to meet emission targets are enormous. Do we want to become dependent on non-European players in this crucial area? Or do we build our own hydrogen industry—from electrolysers to vehicles—and maintain our technological and competitive strength?
It is therefore vital to create the right conditions for the industry to meet the set targets and preserve our economic autonomy.
- Do not distinguish between green, blue, and grey hydrogen in the initial phase. This is the most effective way to quickly lower the price of hydrogen and get the market moving.
- Ensure a rapid transition to green hydrogen by reducing tariffs and adjusting regulations.
- Include hydrogen in the Automotive Action Plan and establish large European corridor and demonstration projects, comparable to the current focus on BEVs and autonomous driving.
This is the path to capitalizing on investments in Dutch hydrogen innovation, maintaining our competitive position relative to Asian countries, and, more importantly, ensuring a realistic route toward our climate goals.
The question is: Do we choose the reality of a dual approach and economic autonomy, or do we allow our green future to depend on slow infrastructure and external parties?
