Technical and Environmental assessment of diesel lightweight truck retrofitting by hydrogen

Through the Green Deal roadmap, Europe intends to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. It is an ambitious goal that can only be achieved through the redefinition of the energy system, which contributes with a share equal to 75% of total emissions climate-changing of the European continent. The transport sector is a key component, being responsible for almost a third of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. Driven by political incentives linked to the achievement of emissions targets, the automotive industry is slowly converting from the use of internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. In this context, hydrogen can play a decisive role. Fuel cell vehicles are zero-emission, have refueling times comparable to those of traditional fuels and have a longer range than battery-powered electric vehicles. The most significant competitive advantages in road transport are related to applications on fleets, freight transport and urban buses for local public transport in the first place, where the limits related to recharging times and autonomy of battery-powered vehicles are more evident. This work investigates the retrofitting from internal combustion engine to electric motor for freight transport applications considering the great potential deriving from the replacement of the propulsion system only and the advantages of hydrogen in zero-emission light commercial vehicle applications, both in environmental terms and as an enabling element for the transition. Through the analysis of a case study, a technical solution is represented and subsequently a comparative analysis based on the LCA approach.