Designing hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks in a diverse medium and heavy duty market

Abstract Policy makers are increasingly looking to a portfolio of options including hydrogen fuel cell technology to simultaneously lower criteria pollutant emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, and petroleum consumption in medium and heavy duty vehicles (MHDVs). However, the feasibility of introducing large numbers of fuel cell electric trucks, buses, and vans to the roads remains unclear, in part because the MHDV market is highly diverse in terms of vehicle size, use, and vocation. This paper attempts to answer the question: will hydrogen fuel cell MHDVs be space or weight constrained given their range of operation? The results suggest that most MHDVs have sufficient space for hydrogen storage tanks under the side rails, behind the cab, and/or under the chassis to accommodate 90 percent of each vehicle segment’s daily range of operation, although identifying a standard size, design, and placement of these components may be challenging.