For the heavy-duty sector, the real contest is between two hydrogen-based paths. The hydrogen internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) is gaining traction as a ‘bridge technology’ for those hesitant to leave traditional combustion engines behind. On the other side, hydrogen fuel cells represent the electric future of high-efficiency, high-uptime operations.

Choosing H2-ICE might look like a comfortable transition and is cheaper in CAPEX, but a closer look at efficiency, actual emissions, and above all, total cost of ownership, shows why fuel cell technology is often the better strategic choice for your fleet or project.

The price of efficiency: 60% vs. 35%

In high-utilization operations like long-haul trucking or 24/7 power generation, fuel is the largest component of your total cost of ownership (TCO). Even small improvements in efficiency create large lifetime savings.

A H2-ICE operates at efficiencies typically between 20% and 35%. In contrast, our X150 fuel cell system, which is also at the heart of our hydrogen generator sets, offers an efficiency of 62% to 51%, depending on the operating point.

Besides the fuel-cost savings, this higher efficiency also leads to a longer autonomy or range, and thus fewer refueling operations. Because a fuel cell system converts the same amount of hydrogen into more usable energy, you need less fuel to do the same amount of work. This translates to more uptime and less time spent managing fuel logistics.

Not all ‘zero emission’ is created equally

In countries like the Netherlands, CO₂ reduction is only part of the story. The national nitrogen crisis has turned nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions into a barrier for growth across multiple sectors.

Hydrogen combustion engines burn fuel in ambient air, which is nearly 80% nitrogen. At high combustion temperatures, NO_x is inevitably formed. While after-treatment systems like SCR using AdBlue can reduce these levels, they are not inherently zero. For projects located near Natura 2000 zones or construction sites in urban centers, even trace amounts of NO_x can lead to permit delays or denials. Close to zero emissions is not the same as zero emissions, and with regulations becoming more stringent each year, that gap becomes a real risk.

Fuel cells, such as the zepp X150 or Y50, use an electrochemical process rather than combustion. They operate at much lower temperatures and emit only pure water vapor. This makes them the only zero-emission path that is guaranteed to be compliant with the strictest current and future environmental regulations.

Operational benefits of an electric operation

Besides costs and actual zero emissions, there are also operational benefits to the electric drivetrain that hydrogen fuel cell technology offers:

• Vibration-free. Without moving pistons or internal explosions, our fuel cell modules eliminate the mechanical stress and vibrations inherent in combustion engines.
• Quiet operations. The zepp.generator series operates at noise levels below 68 dB. This enables 24/7 operations in urban noise-sensitive zones where use of any type of combustion engine would be restricted.
• Less maintenance. Fuel cell electric systems have fewer wear-and-tear parts than combustion engines, so there’s typically less routine servicing and fewer unexpected repairs. That means more uptime and lower and more predictable maintenance costs.
• Regenerative gains. For hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles like our zepp.europa, the electric drivetrain enables regenerative braking. Every time the vehicle decelerates, energy is recovered and stored in a buffer battery rather than being wasted as heat in the brakes. This leads to additional fuel savings and real TCO benefits

The business case

The misconception is that fuel cell technology is the expensive future, and H2-ICE is the reasonably priced in-between step. The reality is that for high-uptime projects, the efficiency gains already close the financial gap.

For the Europa truck, the higher efficiency often offsets the initial purchase price difference over the asset’s lifespan. We offer a truck TCO calculator on our website that allows you to put in your own numbers and see what this means for your operation. And, even beyond H2ICE, our hydrogen generator sets already offer TCO parity with HVO100 diesel sets for projects with high energy demands. 

Adapting a combustion platform to use hydrogen means carrying over the risks and downsides of combustion engines. These include NO_x emissions, lower efficiency, and mechanical wear. By choosing fuel cell technology, you are choosing the most efficient, quiet, and future-proof power generation for your operation.

Internal combustion engines have had over 100 years of optimisation, yet fuel cells already win the efficiency equation in high-uptime use cases. Fuel cells are still on a steeper improvement curve, so today’s advantage is likely just the beginning.