A recent report from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) declared hydrogen the likely zero-emissions winner for long haul fleets, but China continues to surpass the U.S. in terms of commercial fuel cell adoption, leaving experts to wonder if the U.S. has much of a chance of catching up.
A recent report published by U.K.-based international market research group Interact Analysis shows China with just under 5,000 commercial fuel cell vehicle sales for 2022. In February alone, an additional 127 fuel cell buses and trucks made their way to Chinese roadways. The trend has long favored fuel cell truck adoption.
“According to our data tracker, of fuel cell commercial vehicles sold between 2017 and 2022, trucks made up for 59% of total registrations in China, higher than that of buses,” Interact Analysis principal analyst Shirly Zhu told Commercial Carrier Journal.
[Related: Bill reintroduced to expand hydrogen infrastructure]
China’s lead on commercial fuel cell adoption is far ahead of the U.S. according to CALSTART, a national non-profit based in California that supports both public and private clean transportation initiatives across the country.
CALSTART’s recent white paper titled “Roadmap to Fuel Cell Electric Truck Commercialization” reports that only 84 Class 7 and 8 fuel cell and all-electric trucks have been deployed in the U.S. as of last month.
