Hydrogen Freight Fizzles As Batteries Take Over Global Trucking - CleanTechnica

The BloombergNEF 2025 Factbook on zero emission commercial vehicles reveals a decisive market shift favoring battery-electric trucks over hydrogen fuel cell trucks in global freight transportation. In the first half of 2025, nearly 90,000 zero emission trucks were sold worldwide, with 97% being battery-electric, while fuel cell truck sales halved to about 1,000 units. China leads this trend, having sold close to 80,000 electric trucks in six months—more than double 2023’s total—driven by strong battery supply chains, incentives, and cost reductions. Conversely, China’s hydrogen truck market is shrinking despite subsidies, indicating hydrogen’s failure to compete. Europe shows a similar pattern, with electric truck sales growing over 50% year-on-year, supported by infrastructure investments and zero emission zones, while hydrogen truck programs face delays and reduced ambitions. The EU’s binding infrastructure targets further cement battery dominance. In contrast, the U.S. market lags significantly,