Commissioned by IMI, The Road Ahead report surveyed 300 senior public transport professionals across the UK, Germany, and Italy, focusing on the adoption of hydrogen as a sustainable transport solution.
Public transport operators plan to expand hydrogen fleets
Despite grid capacity concerns, 89 per cent of respondents believe hydrogen is key to overcoming battery-powered fleet limitations. The findings highlight industry momentum.
- 21 per cent of respondents have already purchased hydrogen vehicles
- 61 per cent plan to invest in hydrogen within the next two years
- Almost three-quarters expect to expand their hydrogen fleet over the next decade
In a statement, Andrea Pusceddu, business development director for Hydrogen at IMI, said: “Public transport is well positioned to benefit from hydrogen adoption. However, there is little publicly available research on stakeholder perspectives, and this report aims to address that gap. These statistics are eye-opening for those in the industry and beyond.”
Decentralised hydrogen production key to overcoming barriers
The report underscores the importance of decentralised hydrogen production and localised electrolysers to mitigate infrastructure challenges. With only 25 per cent of respondents reporting access to permanent fuelling infrastructure, smaller, distributed production and storage solutions are seen as vital for avoiding reliance on large-scale centralised hydrogen production.
Safety concerns also remain a significant challenge:
- 76 per cent of UK respondents cited safe hydrogen storage as a major barrier
- 73 per cent in Italy and 66 per cent in Germany shared similar concerns
Hydrogen fuelling infrastructure and expertise gaps
A key insight from the report is that technical knowledge is a major consideration when ordering new hydrogen vehicles. Many public transport operators struggle with the complexity of implementing hydrogen fleets, particularly in securing cost-effective fuelling infrastructure.
Pusceddu added that return on investment is critical, particularly in the public sector, where funding constraints are a reality. Operators must prove that hydrogen is a viable and scalable solution for decarbonising transport and the lack of in-house expertise further complicates this transition.
Download the Full Report
Discover more insights on the future of hydrogen-powered public transport.
Download ‘The Road Ahead’ Report
Comment: Can Britain compete in global semiconductor manufacturing?
Britain can compete in semiconductor manufacturing if it looks at radical innovative manufacture. Design is OK but innovative manufacture would be...