Payload Penalty Shapes Choice Between Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Battery Electric Trucks

Analysis of freight decarbonisation argues that a truck's powertrain weight, which cuts into cargo capacity, is a key early question for fleet operators. A battery-electric long-haul tractor for roughly 800 kilometres would weigh about three tonnes more than a diesel equivalent, reducing payload enough to affect route profitability. Battery trucks remain well suited to regional routes, where lower energy costs outweigh the smaller payload loss. Hydrogen fuel cell systems are similar in total weight once high-pressure tanks are included, offering a real advantage mainly at very long ranges and high duty cycles such as mining haul trucks and long-distance coaches. The article also notes that hydrogen's round-trip efficiency of about 35 to 40 percent, compared with 85 to 90 percent for batteries, requires substantially more renewable electricity for the same distance.