Hydrogen Won't Accept 'No' for an Answer

From automakers to companies in the wider mobility industry, hydrogen power is seeing no shortage of investment and research even as some remain unconvinced of its future.

February 25, 2025

Chris Clonts

Hydrogen aircraft company Zero Avia has successfully powered a Dornier 228 with its ZA600 hydrogen-electric engine. Short-hop hydrogen aircraft will likely arrive first, with ranges of up to 500 miles. (ZeroAvia)

Most outsiders to the transportation industry don’t know much about rapid developments in hydrogen fuel-cell and hydrogen internal-combustion. There just aren’t the large-scale commercial and public efforts to inform the public as exist for the battery-electric vehicle market. Still, 50% of people surveyed by the Department of Energy said they understood that hydrogen has a chance to be a clean alternative source of power for vehicles and even for homes.

First Element Fuel, which operates fueling stations as the brand True Zero, operates the nation’s first 24/7, fast-fill hydrogen station. It largely serves trucks that work the Port of Oakland. (Chris Clonts)

Spotlight or no, progress is being made. And though much of it is outside the United States, American cities and companies have absolutely not given up on the technology. SAE Media wanted to check in and note recent transportation developments that use the earth’s most abundant element.

Automobiles

BMW and Toyota are collaborating on what they’re calling a third-generation fuel-cell system that will power a BMW product by 2028 and products for both companies after that. Unlike some previous automaker announcements of hydrogen-powertrain vehicles, which had a “we’re dipping our toes in the water” feel to them, Toyota President Koji Sato was very clear the project – and the hydrogen-fueling infrastructure partnerships it would foster – had big goals.

“Based on these shared values we will deepen our collaboration in efforts such as the joint development of next-generation fuel cell systems and the expansion of infrastructure, aiming for the realization of a hydrogen society,” he said. “We will accelerate our efforts together with BMW and partners across various industries to realize a future where hydrogen energy supports society.”

Will BMW’s car make it to the U.S.? It looks doubtful, as a BMW executive told Car & Driver that the model would be likely to land somewhere that already has a dense fueling infrastructure.

At Hyundai, the company plans to broaden its hydrogen fuel cell lineup beyond passenger cars to encompass trams, trains, air mobility, heavy equipment, and sea vessels. A notable recent development was the introduction of the Initium concept last fall. The Intium is a rugged CUV that previews a production fuel-cell EV slated for release in the first half of 2025. Hyundai is in the H2 game beyond automobiles, and is working on hydrogen-powered trains, air mobility projects and even ships, which offer a massive opportunity to reduce emissions, because bunker-fuel-burning container ships are prolific polluters. A widely stated example is that one large container ship at sea emits the same amount of sulfur oxide gases as 50 million diesel-burning cars.

And Hyundai also knows that building a hydrogen supply chain is important to whether the technology will thrive or not. Hyundai Motor Group is working on fuel stacks, tanks and vehicles, and H2 production. During a recent briefing, the company said it is completing a feasibility study this year on producing 24,000 tons of hydrogen from 130,000 tons of plastic waste, for example. (See February’s Automotive Engineering for details.)

Switching it up a bit, UK-based NamX, which debuted a hydrogen fuel-cell concept in 2022 and had been developing that, is following through on its surprise switch to powering the HUV (for hydrogen utility vehicle) hydrogen-fueled V8 internal combustion engine.

In going the internal-combustion route, NamX said the benefit to consumers will be reduced acquisition and operational costs due to the rare earth metals needed for fuel-cell BEVs but not needed for IC hydrogen vehicles. Fuel costs are also lower. “Hydrogen combustion engines also boast higher robustness and versatility compared to fuel cells, as they eliminate the need for high-purity H2, which entails regular replacement of air and hydrogen filters and can accommodate lower-quality, cheaper hydrogen,” the company said in a statement.

That versatility is why many makers of heavy-duty vehicles for off-highway use (agriculture and construction) are exploring hydrogen IC engines. It’s a familiar powertrain that still results in deep cuts in CO₂ output. That’s a big deal in the EU, which is calling for a 90% reduction in CO₂ emissions by 2040.

Planes

Koji Sato, president of Toyota Motor Corp. and Olliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management at BMW AG., at their fall announcement of the next stage of their hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle partnership. (BMW)

The general public tends to be pretty wowed when they hear mention of a future that undoubtedly will include electric aircraft. But there is tremendous investment in the sector, from battery-powered air taxis that look more like jumbo drones. And hydrogen is playing a factor in projects larger than that. Hollister, California-based ZeroAvia has come a long way since its 2017 founding.

In January, the company announced it reached an agreement with the FAA on the standards it will have to meet to have its 600kW electric propulsion system certified as airworthy. The system is part of the company’s larger ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain that is designed for up to 20-seat commercial aircraft.

Val Miftakhov, the company’s founder and CEO, said customers are already waiting in line. “With nearly 3,000 orders for our full powertrains and components, achieving a first certification will be a monumental achievement for our team and for the aviation industry, unlocking clean, efficient and affordable air transport,” he said.

The company said that in the UK, where most of its research takes place, it has tested a prototype of the ZA600 hydrogen-electric engine aboard a Dornier 228, a short-take-off-and-landing (STOL) utility plane normally powered via turboprop. The test flight carried two fuel cells and a lithium-ion battery.

Buses, trucks

The number of hydrogen fuel cell buses in use worldwide is difficult to determine, it’s clear that the EU and California are leaders in hydrogen public transportation, which due to the daily duty cycles, make for a great use case. Cologne, Germany, has a fleet that will grow to 125 fuel-cell buses this year. And according to hydrogen-tech company Hydrogenera, Cologne’s neighbor to the north, Hamburg, is converting a former coal power plant into a hydrogen-generating electrolyzer site.

But perhaps no project is larger than in Seoul, South Korea. The city’s goals call for a fleet of 1,300 hydrogen buses by 2026, including the entire fleet that services the city’s main airport. It’s part of a national push to develop hydrogen as a leading source of energy independence.

In the United States, since much of the hydrogen infrastructure has been spurred by federal projects and grants, the recent change in presidential administrations has put a question mark on future progress. AC Transit in Oakland, for example, won a $144-million grant last fall to expand its fleet of hydrogen buses and improve its fueling infrastructure. However, with some federal grants being put on hold by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, whether the funds will be released may be up to just-born lawsuits about the budget cuts.

There is good news: 2024 saw the opening, also in the Bay Area, of the nation’s first 24-hour hydrogen truck stop, operated by First Element Fuel. It serves a fleet of Hyundai and other class-8 trucks that do round-the-clock local hauling for the Port of Oakland. See August’s Truck & Off-Highway Engineering for details. Many hope that this success could lead to widespread adoption of hydrogen at the nation’s ports, which are notorious for their diesel-generated pollution.