Comparative evaluation of battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles for zero carbon emissions road vehicle fuel in Scotland

Abstract

Decarbonisation of road transport is essential in a Net-Zero transition. Currently neither hydrogen nor electricity are inevitable. Is electrification the single obvious solution, or is a combination with hydrogen more functional and cost-effective? Scotland makes a good exemplar of transport Transition, with a defined geography, a world leading Net-Zero ambition, and proven pathways for generating large amounts of renewable energy. We identified essential elements of the new transport systems, including CapEx and OpEx and emissions through transition. We developed five scenarios modelled for transition around varying the pace of change for some or all vehicle classes. Monte Carlo simulations investigated the emissions, vehicle mixes, construction speed, and costs.CapEx to install generation and refuelling infrastructure for electricity or for hydrogen favours hydrogen by a substantial margin, with multi £Bn cost-reductions. Untaxed OpEx costs favour electricity, such that whole system costs are broadly similar for any mix, although untaxed per-km fuel costs for either should be lower than hydrocarbons. User experience, energy storage, vehicle characteristics, social factors, use of natural resources – almost all favour increased hydrogen use. Hydrogen interseasonal storage at national scale is feasible in salt caverns, with re-purposing of the transmission pipeline grid, and huge scale-up of generation; interseasonal electricity storage does not exist at national scale, and significant electrification penetration requires immense infrastructure upgrades.A no regrets action is the rapid deployment of hydrogen infrastructure for buses, trucks and large fleets, with enough to facilitate hydrogen car ownership. Jobs could be created and maintained locally in hydrogen manufacturing, installation and servicing.

Hydrogen Energy as Future of Sustainable Mobility

“…In the line, to meet zero-emission and zero sound railway transportation, InnoTrans in 2016 of Berlin developed the Coradia iLint. This has been commercialized and launched in 2020 to run for 100 km between Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervoerde and Buxtehude in northern Germany (Low et al, 2020). Understanding the requirement and need for replacing clean hydrogen fuel transportation with the second largest railway network in the world, the Indian Railway has also started developing and testing passenger fuel cell train set (Jhunjhunwala et al, 2018).…”

Weight gain of battery and hydrogen Zero Emission Vehicles over internal combustion vehicles: consequential increases in road wear.

“…We select Scotland as an area of analysis. This allows analysis of a fairly homogenous road construction and vehicle standard (Low et al 2020). This is also connected with the Scottish Government's commitment to unusually demanding targets for early decarbonisation, with a ban on new hydrocarbon car & LGV sales, and an all-sector emissions reduction of 75% from 1990 levels, to be achieved by 2030, followed by net zero emissions by 2045 (Scottish Government 2019), and also with the Scottish Government's recent announcement of substantial investment in the hydrogen economy (Scottish Government 2020a).…”