A group of French and German economists have issued a new report calling on France and Germany to find "a common approach" in the decarbonization of road freight transportation, specifically calling for a total focus on battery electric commercial trucks instead of hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) counterparts.
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The French Conseil d'analyse economique (CAE) and the Franco-German Council of Economic Experts (FGCEE) have released a detailed report advocating for the use of zero-emission battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) over FCEV in order to accelerate decarbonization, and that Germany and France should coordinate their strategies to find common ground.
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The report can be read in its entirety here.
The FGCEE is an independent body that makes policy recommendations on a range of economic issues in which both countries share common interests.
The two countries are not only the EU's two largest economies but they also share a 259-mile-long border, meaning they face a long list of similar challenges in decarbonizing freight transportation, among other things. According to the report, 97% of heavy goods vehicles registered in the EU in 2023 were still diesel-powered, with France and Germany each accounting for 30% of sales. And while the EU has been a global leader in decarbonization efforts, its freight transport industry has lagged behind other industries to reduce emissions.
But what about railroads, a sector where the EU thrives, especially for public transportation?
"While rail remains competitive mainly for heavy, homogeneous goods over long distances. Most freight in Europe is indeed transported over distances of less than 124 miles (200 km) and involves consignment weights of up to 30 tons," the report states. "In most such cases, transportation by rail instead of truck is not possible or not competitive. Moreover, taking into account the goods currently transported in intermodal transport units over distances of more than 186 miles (300 km), the modal shift potential from road to rail would be only 6% in Germany and less than 2% in France.
The solution, therefore, is trucks. However, major manufacturers, including Toyota, Hyundai, and Daimler Trucks, are continuing to develop FCEV rigs. This approach needs to change, according to the report.
"Aligning [Germany and France's] strategies would strengthen domestic policies, improve infrastructure interoperability, and accelerate EU-wide regulatory alignment," reads the FGCEE statement. “Policies should focus on battery-electric trucks (BET) as these represent the most mature and market-ready technology for road freight transport. Hence, to ramp-up usage of BET public funding should be used to accelerate the roll-out of fast-charging networks along major corridors and in private depots.”
The economists cite several factors that led them away from FCEV technology. Acknowledging that while hydrogen refueling is technically possible, issues like a lack of refueling stations, less energy efficiency, higher production costs, and a green hydrogen supply shortage remain. Furthermore, "the potential reduction in emissions compared with a diesel truck is only 15%."
Hydrogen should still be used in other industries, "such as aviation and maritime transport, where battery-electric solutions are not viable."
The economists are encouraging policy makers to take an "adaptive approach," meaning that in alongside BEV trucks, companies should also continue "to develop, test and demonstrate" other drive systems but do no more.
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"The publicly funded development of an infrastructure for these alternatives makes little sense at the present time due to the existing uncertainties," the report adds. In other words, BEV is the future but until an extensive infrastructure and other necessities are in place it's necessary to continue improving existing systems - just not FCEVs.
