Hydrogen could reduce emissions from UK vehicles

In recent years, billions of pounds have been invested in hydrogen vehicles, which could help reduce emissions from some of the most polluting vehicles on UK roads.

Investments in hydrogen fuel cell technology have been made by governments, organizations, and automakers in recent years. German carmaker Bosch plans to invest £800 million (€1 billion) in the development of hydrogen fuel cells and lorries, with their estimates predicting a market of $15.2 billion by the end of the decade.

The Hydrogen for Transport Program has already received a £23 million pledge from the United Kingdom government.

Hyundai, for example, has invested heavily in the fuel source, which other automotive rivals have taken aim at.

A recent statement by Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe that he believes fuel cells are a better option than hydrogen combustion for automobiles was interpreted by some as a jab at Hyundai’s move into the sector. In order to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2050, the Japanese government has made significant investments in hydrogen.

Carmakers should devote as much time and money to hydrogen vehicles as they do to battery electric vehicles, a 2021 survey found (EVs).

The Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai NEXO are the only hydrogen vehicles currently on the market in the United Kingdom. The majority of the 300 hydrogen vehicles on UK roads, according to government estimates, are passenger cars and buses. Hybrid fuel cells, on the other hand, hold promise for use in larger vehicles like lorries and heavy haulers.

According to the UK Hydrogen Strategy report, hydrogen can be used to “complement electrification across modes of transport,” including buses, trains, and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). Furthermore, hydrogen-powered transportation, particularly depot-based modes of transportation like buses, will “evolve in the future,” according to the report. The first hydrogen-powered double-decker bus has already been unveiled by Wrightbus in the United Kingdom.

In Birmingham, where the council is aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2030, it has already been put to use in the city. The Northern Irish-built buses only emit water vapour from their tailpipes, and emit no exhausts or fumes.