Batteries vs Fuel Cells for Decarbonizing Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles Across Applications

Batteries vs Fuel Cells for Decarbonizing Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles Across Applications | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Analysis Batteries vs Fuel Cells for Decarbonizing Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles Across Applications Maxwell Woody, Spencer Checkoway, Gregory Keoleian, Robert De Kleine, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7827939/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract We conduct a life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment of class 3–8 internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the United States. Compared to conventional diesel fueled alternatives, HEVs reduce emissions by 1-26% across vehicle types, FCEVs using hydrogen produced from steam methane reforming reduce emissions by 1-45%, and BEVs powered by the grid result in a 55-75% reduction. FCEVs using hydrogen produced from electrolysis powered by renewable electricity reduce emissions by 81-87% across vehicle types, while BEVs powered by renewable electricity result in an 89-94% reduction. These ordering of these powertrains holds across cargo weights, drive cycles, regional electricity grids, and grid projections. We also assess renewable electricity consumption and hydrogen leakage, two factors not included in most comparative life cycle assessments, which must be considered when evaluating the suitability of different powertrains for decarbonization. Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences/Environmental impact Physical sciences/Energy science and technology/Energy modelling Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental social sciences/Sustainability Physical sciences/Energy science and technology/Energy storage/Batteries Physical sciences/Energy science and technology/Energy storage/Hydrogen storage Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryInformation.docx Supplementary Information Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7827939","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Analysis","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":530756447,"identity":"847c6ad5-6371-4751-80cf-fdc5c51c3d8e","order_by":0,"name":"Maxwell Woody","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAvUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYPACZgZ+IHmAsQFEEqtFsoFkLQYglURp0W0/YybxocI6cfON7MQDP3cwyPHdSMCvxexMWprkjDPpidtu5G442HuGwViSoJYDycdu87YdBms5zNjGkLiBoJbzD9vAWjbPgGipJ6zlBtSWDRIQLQkGhLU8S/8J9IvxjDNvgX5pkzCceeYBIYflGBsAQ0y2vz1384efbTbyfMcJ2AIDjg0QWoI45SBgT7zSUTAKRsEoGHEAALHYUpuGDBa0AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6610-2777","institution":"University of Michigan-Ann Arbor","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maxwell","middleName":"","lastName":"Woody","suffix":""},{"id":530756448,"identity":"e075add2-4d9c-4189-b1fa-e8447f42a79d","order_by":1,"name":"Spencer Checkoway","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Michigan - 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