Drivers and Barriers to the Adoption of Fuel Cell Passenger Vehicles and Buses in Germany

Abstract

As policymakers and automotive stakeholders around the world seek to accelerate the electrification of road transport with hydrogen, this study focuses on the experiences of Germany, a world leader in fuel cell technology. Specifically, it identifies and compares the drivers and barriers influencing the production and market penetration of privately-owned fuel cell electric passenger vehicles (FCEVs) and fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) in public transit fleets. Using original data collected via a survey and 17 interviews, we elicited the opinions of experts to examine opportunities and obstacles in Germany from four perspectives: (i) the supply of vehicles (ii) refuelling infrastructure, (iii) demand for vehicles, and (iv) cross-cutting institutional issues. Findings indicate that despite multiple drivers, there are significant challenges hampering the growth of the hydrogen mobility market. Several are more pronounced in the passenger FCEV market. These include the supply and cost of production, the lack of German automakers producing FCEVs, the profitability and availability of refuelling stations, and low demand for vehicles. In light of these findings, we extract implications for international policymakers and future studies. This study provides a timely update on efforts to spur the deployment of hydrogen mobility in Germany and addresses the underrepresentation of studies examining both buses and passenger vehicles in tandem.

Qualitative Research on Solving Difficulties in Maintaining Continuity of Food Supply Chain on the Meat Market during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The case study is a common method of describing phenomena, which have a cognitive educational or promotional value. Case studies are good examples on how theory can be applied in practice [49][50][51]. The preparation of case-studies was supported by experts' interviews (N = 6) conducted between 3 January-30 June 2021 in the form of semi-structures in-depth interviews led in remote mode (Table 3).…”

“…The purpose of the classical interviews conducted with 6 representatives of the meat market, i.e., the owner of a poultry farm (1 person), manager of a red meat slaughterhouse (1 person), 2 sales managers in international food corporations (meat department), and 2 wholesalers of meat and meat products, was to obtain information on problematic areas of maintaining the continuity of supply chains during COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the expert knowledge, it was possible to conduct case studies (see Tables 4-6) and formulate the Ishikawa diagram (Figure 2) [49][50][51].…”

A Review of Recent Developments and Advanced Applications of High-Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for PEM Fuel Cells

“…[43]. Other factors such as the grid congestion and unreliability, global warming, urbanisation, rising energy costs, ability to use waste heat, and avoidance of peak load constraints do also play roles in the decision making of the market [43,[241][242][243]. Fuel cells for the CHP applications need to be~80-90% efficient, cost effective (less than $2000 kW −1 per installed unit), have useable heat (about 150-250 • C), and a long life duration (at least 10 years) to meet the required prerequisites to enter into the energy market [194,244].…”

EU Carbon Diplomacy: Assessing Hydrogen Security and Policy Impact in Australia and Germany

“…Hydrogen is tagged to different colors depending on the heat/energy source and processing method, including for instance, brown hydrogen from brown coal, gray H 2 from either coal or gas, blue hydrogen from coal or gas with CCS, and green hydrogen from solar/wind/RE [42]. Hydrogen is especially appropriate for decarbonization of heating, heavy industry (steel, cement, chemical (fertilizer) production), energy storage, heavy transport, and aviation sectors, where batteries and electric charging may fall short of the required energy density [35,37,[43][44][45][46][47][48][49].…”