Fuel cell hybrid vehicles and their role in the decarbonisation of road transport

Abstract

Nearly ten years have passed since the comeback of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). However, the percentage of such vehicles on the roads is still low and there is widespread concern about the long-term success of this technology. On the other hand, vehicles fueled with hydrogen, which it is beginning to be praised by several car companies as the fuel of future, do not yet have broad market acceptance, being even lower than battery electric vehicles and facing significant barriers for a widespread diffusion. In this research work, a novel type-approval test procedure is developed aiming to stablish an impartial simulation-based comparative analysis of technical feasibility, performance, range, and greenhouse gas emissions of two hybrid powertrains that manage electricity stored in a lithium-ion battery and hydrogen in tanks: Plug-In Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicle (FC-PHEV) and Extended Range Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Vehicle (FC-EREV). The simulation framework developed considers the barriers and how to avoid them through the implementation of a set of fuel management rules. The findings indicate that hybrid powertrains achieve greater ranges and lower greenhouse gas emissions, opening the door to introduce these vehicles onto the market without the need to wait till the main barrier, the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, is fully developed.