Hydrogen-Powered Transport: The Comeback Fuel Shaping the Future of Mobility

Hydrogen-Powered Transport: How H₂ Is Becoming the Fuel of the Future Once Again

Interest in hydrogen transport is surging once more. After a decade dominated by electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries, both manufacturers and governments are returning their focus to hydrogen technology-a solution once thought utopian. The main reason is simple: hydrogen offers the same eco-friendly benefits as electricity but without many of its limitations, making hydrogen-powered transport a compelling alternative for the future of mobility.

How Hydrogen Transport Works

Modern hydrogen-powered transport is based on two core approaches: fuel cells and hydrogen internal combustion engines. Fuel cells are the primary technology behind models like the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo. In a fuel cell, hydrogen (H₂) reacts electrochemically with oxygen from the air, generating electricity that powers an electric motor, with clean water as the only byproduct. Essentially, a hydrogen car is an electric vehicle with its own built-in power generator rather than a battery.

The second approach-hydrogen internal combustion engines (H₂ ICE)-burns hydrogen in a way similar to gasoline, but without emitting CO₂. Although these engines are less efficient, companies like Toyota and Yamaha are experimenting with them as a transitional solution for trucks and sports cars.

The main advantages of both methods are zero harmful emissions and rapid refueling: tanks can be filled in just 3-5 minutes, providing a range of up to 600-800 km.

Types of Hydrogen Transport

Hydrogen is already being used as a fuel in a wide range of transport solutions, from passenger vehicles to airplanes and maritime vessels.

Cars and Buses

The most recognized hydrogen vehicles are the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo, both using fuel cells to generate onboard electricity and achieve up to 800 km on a single fill. Hydrogen buses like the Caetano H2 City Gold and Van Hool A330 are actively deployed in urban networks across Germany, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

Trucks and Heavy Machinery

For heavy-duty transport, hydrogen is especially advantageous, offering longer ranges without the added battery weight. Nikola Motor, Hyundai, and Volvo are already producing hydrogen trucks with ranges up to 1,000 km. In the US and South Korea, fuel cell-powered mining trucks and excavators are under trial.

Trains

Alstom, a European company, launched the Coradia iLint, the world's first hydrogen train, operating in Germany since 2018. It replaces diesel trains on non-electrified lines and emits only water vapor. Similar projects are underway in France, Japan, and Russia.

Airplanes and Ships

In aviation, Airbus is developing the ZEROe concept-the first passenger airliner powered by liquid hydrogen, targeted for 2035. On the water, experimental vessels like Energy Observer and Sea Change have already proven that H₂ can enable fully autonomous, zero-carbon navigation.

Together, these advances show that hydrogen transport is expanding across all sectors-from personal vehicles to aviation-gradually building a comprehensive "hydrogen ecosystem" for the future.

Benefits and Challenges of Hydrogen Technologies

The key benefit of hydrogen-powered transport is environmental cleanliness. Fuel cells emit only water vapor-no CO₂, soot, or toxins. At the same time, hydrogen cars and trains offer the familiar experience of quick refueling and extended range, which most electric vehicles still struggle to match.

A second advantage is versatility. Hydrogen suits all transport types-from cars to heavy trucks, airplanes, and ships-delivering high energy density with low weight, which is crucial for logistics and aviation.

However, challenges remain. Hydrogen production is still costly and energy-intensive, especially for "green" hydrogen made from water using renewable energy. Refueling infrastructure is also limited: there are fewer than 2,000 hydrogen stations worldwide, half of which are in Japan and Europe.

Storage and transportation present additional hurdles. Hydrogen must be compressed or cooled to -253°C, requiring expensive equipment and strict safety measures.

Nevertheless, investments in hydrogen are increasing, and countries are launching long-term support programs-from the EU and US to China and South Korea. More companies now see hydrogen not as a competitor but as a complement to electric vehicles, filling niches where batteries fall short.

Hydrogen Production and Infrastructure

Hydrogen production falls into three main categories: "grey," "blue," and "green."

• Grey hydrogen: Produced from natural gas via steam reforming-the cheapest method, but it releases CO₂.
• Blue hydrogen: Uses the same process but captures and stores CO₂, serving as an intermediate solution.
• Green hydrogen: Generated by electrolyzing water with renewable electricity (from wind, solar, or hydro), making it the cleanest "fuel of the future."

The primary challenge now is to make green hydrogen production large-scale and affordable. Massive electrolyzer projects are underway in Europe, China, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. Hydrogen hubs are being built in Germany and the Netherlands to produce, store, and distribute H₂ to refueling stations and industry.

Transport infrastructure is evolving gradually. Japan, South Korea, and Germany lead in hydrogen refueling stations, while China is constructing entire H₂ corridors for trucks between major cities.

In Russia, the first stations appeared in Moscow and St. Petersburg as pilot projects by Gazprom and Rosatom, primarily for rail and municipal transport.

Hydrogen storage is a separate engineering challenge. Today, it's stored as compressed gas (up to 700 bar) or as a liquid cooled to -253°C. Researchers are also exploring metal hydride storage, which could make hydrogen fuel more compact and reliable.

As a result, the hydrogen infrastructure is gradually emerging as an independent sector-hydrogen energy-closely linked to the transport systems of the future.

Why Hydrogen Is Making a Comeback

Following the electric vehicle boom, hydrogen technology is regaining attention-and for good reason. The world faces shortages of lithium and cobalt, key battery materials whose extraction leaves a massive carbon footprint. Hydrogen, in contrast, can be produced from water and natural gas, making it a strategically sustainable energy source.

H₂ is also a perfect fit for the transition to a carbon-neutral economy, offering "clean" power for transport, industry, and energy without requiring a complete infrastructure overhaul. Billions are already being invested in hydrogen programs worldwide. The European Union is pursuing its Hydrogen Roadmap Europe, Japan is advancing its H2 Mobility initiative, and China is building "hydrogen cities."

Major automakers are also shifting strategy. Toyota and Hyundai continue to expand their hydrogen vehicle lineups, BMW and Honda are revisiting fuel cell experiments, and Airbus and ZeroAvia are betting on H₂ in aviation.

The growing focus on renewable energy further boosts hydrogen's appeal: surplus electricity from solar and wind farms can be used to produce hydrogen, turning it into a kind of "energy battery." This positions H₂ not just as a fuel, but as a crucial link in the future energy ecosystem, where transport, energy, and industry are integrated in a closed, sustainable loop.

Ultimately, hydrogen's resurgence is a logical response to modern challenges: resource shortages, the climate crisis, and the need for true energy autonomy.

The Future of Hydrogen Transport

By 2035, hydrogen-powered transport could become a major segment of the global energy landscape alongside electric vehicles and biofuels. The International Energy Agency predicts at least 10 million hydrogen cars on the road and more than 25,000 refueling stations worldwide by then.

The main direction for development will be liquid hydrogen-more energy-dense and compact, actively researched by Airbus and NASA. This technology will extend flight ranges and make H₂ viable for aviation and shipping. Simultaneously, solid-state storage using metal hydrides and carbon nanomaterials is being developed to address safety and energy density concerns.

Next-generation hydrogen buses and trucks will appear in cities, working in tandem with solar and wind power. In Japan, Germany, and the UAE, "hydrogen valleys" are already taking shape-regions where entire infrastructures, from transport to buildings, run on H₂.

In parallel, the concept of a hydrogen society is emerging-a model where hydrogen fuels not only transport but also heating, industry, and power generation. This would create a unified, zero-emissions environment where transportation becomes an integral part of the ecological cycle.

Though reaching this future will take time, the trend is clear: hydrogen is no longer an experiment but is becoming a real driver of energy transformation, poised to reshape the global transport and fuel market.

Conclusion

Hydrogen-powered transport is returning not merely as an alternative, but as a natural complement to electric vehicles. It solves challenges that batteries can't yet meet-enabling long-distance travel, powering heavy equipment, aviation, and shipping. H₂ combines environmental friendliness, autonomy, and high energy density, offering zero-emission transport without compromising speed or range.

Thanks to rising investment, growing infrastructure, and "green" hydrogen production, this technology is steadily becoming mainstream. It's connecting transport, energy, and industry into one integrated system-a hydrogen economy for the future, where energy circulates without carbon or waste.

Ultimately, hydrogen may be the link that unites ecology and progress, making sustainable transport not just a dream, but a standard part of everyday life.