This study introduces the Total Cost of Ownership per Unit Operating Time (TCOP)
as a novel indicator to assess the economic impact of vehicle durability. A
comprehensive analysis is conducted for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), battery
electric vehicles (BEVs), and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) in
light- and heavy-duty scenarios. The results show that in HDVs, the advantages
of low prices for hydrogen and electricity are fully demonstrated due to their
high durability. In contrast, for LDVs, the purchase cost plays a much larger
role, accounting for 68% of the total cost, indicating a significant difference
between vehicles. Improving durability can significantly enhance the
competitiveness of FCVs. For FCVs, increasing the durability from the current
levels of 150,000 km for LDVs and 600,000 km for HDVs to 20,8500 km and
1,122,000 km, respectively, would align their TCOP with that of current ICEVs. A
sensitivity analysis shows that for HDVs. The focus should be placed on
improving the durability of fuel cell systems in order to reduce fuel costs over
the long term, while for LDVs, the key to reducing TCOP is to reduce the
manufacturing cost of the whole vehicle. By 2040, assuming that the durability
of FCVs is improved to the same level as ICEVs and that the cost of fuel cells
continues to fall, FCVs will be more competitive than EVs and ICEVs in terms of
long-term operating costs.