Electricity, hydrogen, or …? Electricity and hydrogen are viable options for cleaner transport in the future. Both technologies offer a number of advantages bringing us closer to zero-emission driving and face a number of obstacles, such as high costs, shortcomings in the relevant technology or lack of infrastructure. BEVs currently dominate, but a single solution may not be enough to eliminate CO2 emissions in transport as much as possible. Overcoming technical and economic challenges, coupled with increased consumer acceptance and sustainability efforts, will be key to determining the eventual winner in the race for dominance in ‘clean’ transport.

The development of BEVs and FCVs will be significantly influenced in the first instance by the final shape of the energy transition, the growing demand for electricity and the availability of water. The challenges of moving away from traditional energy sources will drive the development of each of the available options. The winners will be those that deliver environmental and economic efficiency in production. It is likely that it will not be one type of energy, but a mix of them, so both electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles will compete in the market in the future. Although the tide is currently tipping towards EVs, due to the maturity and availability of the technology, the future availability of green hydrogen and the infrastructure to refuel it could reverse this trend.

Currently, performance issues such as vehicle weight and range are challenging for electric-powered vehicles, Economic and technical challenges related to network capacity and charging infrastructure further complicate their mass use. Hydrogen vehicles, although currently more expensive and without refuelling infrastructure, offer greater environmental advantages. Regulatory incentives and industry initiatives could play a key role in shaping the trajectory of sustainable transport in the future. Consumer preferences, particularly as dictated by price, safety, durability and the ability to dispose of particular vehicle types on the secondary market, will also be important.

All that could change if current fusion research brings us an unlimited supply of energy that will be available cheaply or even for free as early as the second half of the 21st century. In addition, advances in science and industry could solve the problems associated with battery inadequacies by providing us with extremely capacious, lightweight, inexpensive and fast-charging batteries. All of this could spell the end of the era of hydrogen and other alternative energy sources. However, such a revolution may not occur until the second half of the 21st century at the earliest.

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