Hydrogen may not be the best source of fuel to make municipal fleets more sustainable. That was one of the key conclusions of the latest meeting of the Community of Practice (CoP) on Heavy Duty Electric Vehicles, organised in the context of the Big Buyers Working Together (BBWT) project. The participating public buyers noted that currently electrification seems to be a better solution.

In Germany and Sweden, experiments with fully hydrogen-fuelled trucks and waste collection vehicles didn’t produce satisfactory results. Manufacturers familiar with the issues are thinking about combining a combustion engine with hydrogen fuel, but that might lead to regulatory issues, as it will probably become impossible to sell combustion engines in the EU after 2035.

Despite the issues surrounding hydrogen, EU institutions are still promoting and investing in the technology. Procurers might be interested in experimenting with it if they are able to sign contracts that enable them to get their money back if the technology fails. In Cologne such a tender was developed, and the group noted that it would like to see a broader European perspective on procuring hydrogen-based vehicles.

The limited experience of the group shows that even when there is willingness to experiment with hydrogen, costs are an issue. This is especially the case in the context of waste trucks, as most of the technology developed focuses on buses, which represent the highest share of the market. Furthermore, many cities and countries still lack public hydrogen stations or hydrogen factories.

In light of these discussions the Community is currently planning to organise a site visit to a DAF factory. DAF is the first company to produce hydrogen vehicles with a combustion engine, while also producing electric trucks. Potential participants who would like to know more about these topics are encouraged to report their interest in joining the CoP by sending an email to Big Buyers Working Together Secretariat, at big.buyers@eurocities.eu