𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿—𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽

When I founded Element 2 five years ago, it was already clear that hydrogen’s real market lay in commercial vehicles—trucks, buses, and industrial fleets—rather than passenger cars. The recent announcement that H2 MOBILITY is closing 22 hydrogen refueling stations in Germany reinforces this reality: the industry is finally aligning with what has always been inevitable.

Back then, many in the sector were focusing on expansive 700-bar refueling infrastructure designed for passenger vehicles, betting on a market that never truly materialized. The logic seemed sound on paper—hydrogen cars could offer long range and fast refueling compared to EVs—but the reality was different. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rapidly became the dominant choice for consumers, backed by expanding charging infrastructure and the falling cost of lithium-ion batteries. Meanwhile, hydrogen struggled to find its place in passenger mobility, hindered by high vehicle costs, a lack of widespread demand, and limited station availability.

On the other hand, the case for hydrogen in commercial transport has always been strong. Fleets of heavy-duty vehicles require fast refueling, long ranges, and payload efficiency—areas where hydrogen excels. These vehicles also tend to operate on fixed routes, making it easier to justify investment in refueling infrastructure. Instead of chasing a passenger car market that was quickly being outcompeted by BEVs, the smarter move was always to focus on where hydrogen made the most sense.

At Element 2, I made that call early on, prioritizing infrastructure to serve trucks and commercial fleets rather than rolling out expensive 700-bar refueling stations that would have struggled for utilization. The fact that so many of these passenger-focused stations have remained open for this long is perhaps the real surprise.

Now, with major industry players shifting focus towards commercial applications, the hydrogen transition is taking shape in a way that’s both commercially viable and strategically sound. The road ahead is still challenging, but one thing is clear: hydrogen’s role in transport will be built on heavy-duty and commercial applications, not passenger cars.