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A decade ago, many people believed hydrogen fuel cells were the future, not battery-electric cars. The debates raged and it was common to have press releases, auto executive statements, and debates about the future of hydrogen-powered cars.
In the last decade or so, the market apparently has decided that hydrogen-powered cars do not make sense, and they can’t compete in the market as a result. Despite this situation, there are still plenty of discussions, trials, and vehicle development programs for hydrogen-powered trucks.
In the last decade or so, the market apparently has decided that hydrogen-powered cars do not make sense, and they can’t compete in the market as a result. Despite this situation, there are still plenty of discussions, trials, and vehicle development programs for hydrogen-powered trucks.
In theory, hydrogen can compete in the truck market, but in practice, it’s an entirely different matter. Battery technology keeps improving rapidly, and solutions for battery-electric trucks are becoming clear. If battery costs keep coming down — as expected — and proper charging hubs for heavy-duty electric vehicles get developed, battery-electric trucks seem set to win the day.
In a move that signals a shift in strategy, General Motors (GM) has pressed pause on its highly anticipated hydrogen fuel cell manufacturing facility in Detroit, MI. First announced in September 2024, the $55 million factory was set to breathe new life into the old State Fairgrounds site and create roughly 300 skilled jobs in the process. Spanning nearly 292,500 square feet, the facility was expected to become a major player in GM’s push toward alternative fuels.
In May 2025, those plans were officially put on hold.
Kanadevia (formerly Hitachi Zosen) said it plans to build the first mass-production plant for water electrolysis equipment, which produces hydrogen by electrolyzing water, in Yamanashi Prefecture.
A company announcement said, “We want to develop this as an important production base that contributes to the realization of a hydrogen society. The company will invest approximately 8 billion yen ($52,000,000 USD) to build a mass production plant for water electrolysis equipment with an annual production capacity of 1 gigawatt (157,000 tons of hydrogen produced).
Construction is scheduled to begin about June 2026, with completion and operation by the end of fiscal 2028. The company plans to position this as a domestic mother plant, and in the future, it envisions gradually expanding its hydrogen production equipment manufacturing bases both in Japan and overseas.
Donald Trump has always pushed for more oil drilling and fewer regulations, left the Paris Agreement in his first term as president, says he hates “windmills,” has promised to scrap offshore wind on “day one” if he won the 2024 election, and calls climate change a “scam.”
And now that he’s won, this is a direct threat to the US’s pledge to reach net zero by 2050. After all, federal policy directly impacts the pace of renewable energy growth, especially when it comes to incentives and research funding
Donald Trump will push fossil fuels and undo renewable energy policies, but it ultimately won’t stop clean energy’s momentum
PSR Analysis: The clean energy market isn’t solely driven by US federal policy. Over the last decade, solar, wind, and EVs have become more cost-competitive and popular. State policies play a huge role too, and many states are committed to their own clean energy goals regardless of who sits in the White House. Only time will tell the true impact of Trump’s victory. PSR
The November 2024 issue of the Alternative Power Report published by Power Systems Research includes articles on battery development and discussions on the declining costs of battery power for EVs. Reduced battery costs means reduced costs for EVs, too. An article discusses the outlook for clean energy in the U.S. now that Trump has regained the White House. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast and Technology Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
I traveled recently in the Toyosu area of Tokyo, an upscale residential area, and while there I stopped at a Hydrogen refueling station. While there, I spoke with one of the station’s staff, and I found his comments interesting.
He told me that the only FCVs on the market in Japan are the Toyota MIRAI sedan and Crown FCEV. Honda used to sell the Clarity FCV, but it has been discontinued and few are seen on the road. There are also no FCVs in trucks. There are about 80 hydrogen buses in Tokyo, but they don’t stop at this station because there is a hydrogen station is in the bus company’s office.
On weekends, maybe four or five cars come to the station each day, but on weekdays there are often days when not even one car comes. It’s very quiet. Filling up with hydrogen requires a person with a national qualification, so it’s not possible to operate it like a self-service gas station.
Canada is preparing to join the tariff war against Chinese EVs, according to a report in the July 2024 issue of the Alternative Power Report prepared by Power Systems Research. Another article in the report notes that even thought EV sales are lagging, they’re positioned for long-term growth. And there’s plenty of battery news in this report prepared by PSR analyst Guy Youngs. PSR
China may place 25% tariffs on EVs in retaliation for similar moves by the US and the European Union. Read about this as well as articles on new battery development, the decline in diesel sales and a new battery from CATL in the June 2024 Alternative Power Report from Power Systems Research. PSR
Rotterdam, the Netherlands–During the World Hydrogen Summit (WHS) here many industry leaders, politicians and stakeholders came together to discuss the state of the art of this growing industry. The event, held at Rotterdam Ahoy centre between May 13-15, was one of the largest global meetings for the hydrogen industry. During the conference, many topics were covered, but some were more central amongst the panels PSR attended.
The time of the hydrogen hype is over, and while there has not been the revolution seen in previous years, different projects across the globe have been launched, stating the start of a new and more mature phase in the hydrogen industry.
While Europe has very ambitious targets, the industry asked for more support from institutions, and more clarity on objectives and regulations. Currently, the EU focus is on Green hydrogen, while some of the industry representatives asked for the definition of a low carbon hydrogen category to boost projects in this initial phase of transition.
The United States presents a more intricate and ambiguous scenario, as the upcoming November election raises questions about the longevity of incentives beyond this year.
Globally, many countries are emerging as candidates to fuel energy decarbonization. Morocco, wants to become one of the main exporters of green energy to the EU, and a major player in the production of Green Hydrogen. The country has abundant solar and wind resources, and already the gas pipeline infrastructures connected to Europe.
Similarly, different countries in the Middle East are looking at the green economy transition as an opportunity to grow. Oman is among these, with many projects already signed off to develop both renewable energy facilities, and hydrogen production projects.
On the other hand, the Netherlands, and in particular the city of Rotterdam, are investing significant resources to become one of Europe leaders in the hydrogen economy. The port of Rotterdam has a developed infrastructure for the distribution of natural gas, and they want to leverage their pipelines to become one of Europe’s gateways for the imports of hydrogen in the old continent. They have already developed corridors with German, Belgium, France and the Scandinavian countries. The large infrastructure, and the strong gas industry in the country will allow the Dutch to become a major player in the decarbonization of the European energy sector. PSR
Emiliano Marzoli is Manager-European Operationsfor Power Systems Research
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