Effect of PEM Fuel Cell Technology Advancement on the Energy Efficiency of a Heavy-Duty Vehicle

Fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles (FCHEVs) are a promising solution for decarbonizing heavy-duty transport by combining hydrogen fuel cells with battery storage to deliver long range, fast refuelling, and high payload capacity. However, many existing simulation models rely on outdated fuel cell parameters, limiting their ability to reflect recent technological improvements and accurately predict system-level performance. This study addresses this gap by integrating a state-of-the-art, physics-based model of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) into an open-source heavy-duty vehicle simulation framework. The updated model incorporates recent advancements in catalyst design and membrane conductivity, enabling improved representation of electrochemical behavior and real-time compressor control. Model performance was evaluated over a realistic 120 km long-haul drive cycle. Compared to the traditional fuel cell model, the updated system demonstrated up to 20% lower hydrogen consumption, significantly reduced compressor power demand, and improved cooling performance due to higher stack efficiency. Peak fuel cell efficiency approached 59%. The findings highlight the critical importance of using up-to-date fuel cell models in FCHEV simulations to enable accurate energy predictions and optimal system design. This work supports more effective deployment of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles through improved model fidelity and control strategy development.