Zero Emission Long-Haul Heavy-Duty Trucking

The analysis concludes that for long-haul heavy-duty trucking, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) outperform battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in terms of refueling stops, total dwell time, and cargo capacity. While BEVs offer higher energy efficiency, their heavy batteries significantly reduce payload and require a more extensive and larger infrastructure buildout. Infrastructure modeling indicates that a full transition to BEVs would require stations approximately 10 times the size of current diesel stations, whereas FCEV stations, while still larger than diesel, are more comparable, especially if updated safety regulations are adopted. The report suggests that while BEVs will be important for the broader transition, FCEVs are the most efficient strategy for the specific challenges of long-haul heavy-duty transport.

• For long-haul operations, FCEVs are more operationally viable than BEVs because they require fewer stops, less total fueling time, and preserve more cargo space.
• In a simulated route from Los Angeles to Newark, a BEV with a 1000 kWh battery required 8 stops and 43 hours and 48 minutes of total dwell time, whereas an FCEV required 3 stops and 1 hour and 24 minutes of fueling time.
• BEVs suffer from significant cargo capacity loss due to battery weight; a 1000 kWh battery can result in a loss of between 1,669 and 8,832 kilograms (3,679 to 19,472 pounds) of cargo capacity.
• Infrastructure requirements for a full transition to BEVs are more demanding than for FCEVs; at a density ratio reflecting current US truck populations, BEV stations would need a peak power of approximately 22 MW and 121 simultaneous chargers.
• Hydrogen infrastructure requirements for the same density ratio include a peak aggregate dispenser flow rate of 2,700 kg per hour and 24,000 kg of daily storage, with only 17 simultaneous dispensers needed.
• Charging stations would need to be 10 times larger than representative 12-dispenser diesel stations, while FCEV stations would be 5.26 times larger under 2016 NFPA regulations.
• If updated 2020 NFPA regulations are adopted, the footprint of hydrogen stations could be reduced by 53%, making them 2.80 times larger than diesel stations.
• While BEVs have the best fuel economy at 17.39 mpdge, their limited volumetric energy density results in a range of 470 miles, compared to 1,019 miles for FCEVs and 2,123 miles for diesel.

APA

III, T. K. W. (2023). Zero Emission Long-Haul Heavy-Duty Trucking. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/13145547/zero-emission-long-haul-heavy-duty-trucking-report.pdf

Chicago

III, Thomas K. Walker. Zero Emission Long-Haul Heavy-Duty Trucking. Clean Air Task Force, 2023. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/13145547/zero-emission-long-haul-heavy-duty-trucking-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=III |first1=Thomas K. Walker |title=Zero Emission Long-Haul Heavy-Duty Trucking |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=March 2023 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/13145547/zero-emission-long-haul-heavy-duty-trucking-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{iii2023zero, author = {III, Thomas K. Walker}, title = {{Zero Emission Long-Haul Heavy-Duty Trucking}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/13145547/zero-emission-long-haul-heavy-duty-trucking-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }