Most heavy trucks should be fully electric, using a combination of batteries and
catenary electrification, but heavy trucks requiring very long unsupported range
will need chemical fuels. At the scale of heavy trucks, compressed hydrogen can
match the specific energy of diesel, but its energy density is five times lower,
limiting range to around 2,000 km. Scaling green hydrogen production and
addressing leakage must be priorities. Hydrogen-derived electrofuels—or
“e-fuels”—have the potential to scale, and while the economic comparison
currently has unknowns, clean air considerations have gained new importance
Decarbonized Power Options for Long-haul Commercial Vehicles
discusses these energy sources as well as the caveats related to bioenergy
usage, and reasons to prefer ethanol or methanol to diesel-type fuels.