Hydrogen trucks would save 1.5m tonnes of CO2 per year in London alone

George Barrow
June 23, 2023

HVS (Hydrogen Vehicle Systems) estimates that more than 1,500,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions would be prevented if all of London’s commercial vehicle goods transportation was carried out by hydrogen vehicles.

Looking at emissions data from 2020, the manufacturer of a new zero-emission hydrogen-electric truck, believes that of the 7,682 kilotons of CO2 recorded in the capital, 20% is attributably to road transport.

The report also shows that freight vehicles are responsible for 33% of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and 29% of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) emissions from road transport in London. Additionally, road-related carbon dioxide emissions contribute to 23% of the city's overall emissions.

The findings also shed light on the human cost of these emissions, with an estimated 9,400 premature deaths in London linked to long-term exposure to PM 2.5 and NO2.

By replacing diesel with hydrogen, approximately 155,000 tonnes of hydrogen would be required, effectively eliminating the 1.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions along with the associated PM 2.5 and NOx pollutants.

It is worth noting that both hydrogen and diesel vehicles emit water vapor. The switch to hydrogen would result in the emission of 1,396 ktonnes of water vapor, which carries no carbon emissions. To put this into perspective, the water vapor emitted is equivalent to just 0.88mm of rainfall annually across the Greater London area of 1,572 sq km.

Jawad Khursheed, CEO of HVS, said: “These staggering statistics show us how critical it is that we decarbonise the freight and heavy goods vehicle sectors and the potential to remove significant carbon emissions, harmful levels of PM 2.5 and NOx emissions from the capital. With consumer habits driving the need for more delivery vehicles on our roads, for the sake of our climate and health we cannot afford to continue using carbon-emitting vehicles. A truly viable zero-emission solution is presented with hydrogen. Our hydrogen HGV has enormous potential for reducing carbon emissions in the commercial freight sector, while also improving air quality and public health."

Khursheed added: “Using our innovative powertrain, we can provide logistics and haulage companies with HGVs that have a performance parity of diesel equivalents yet emit just a small amount of water vapour from the tailpipe. We are committed to accelerating towards a greener and cleaner future.”

  • For all the latest news and information dedicated to the decarbonisation of the commercial vehicle and road freight sector, check out our sister website FreightCarbonZero.com

About the Author

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George Barrow

George has been writing about nearly anything with wheels for the past 15 years and is the UK jury member of the International Van of the Year and International Pick-Up Award.

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