Elaboration on the Need for Dynamic Total-Cost-of- Ownership Models in the Context of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

The growing needs for alternative, sustainable powertrains are placing hydrogen mobility at the center of numerous discussions. In this context, hydrogen-powered fuel cells have high potential, especially in the commercial vehicle segment. In order to enable the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable powertrain concepts, it is necessary to decrease the Total-Cost-of-Ownership (TCO) of the vehicle and to increase the lifetime of the used fuel cells, that is reduced by degradation effects. In this paper, the static TCO of fuel cell-based commercial vehicles is compared with battery-electric, diesel- and gas-powered commercial vehicles, and significant cost drivers are derived, whereby the focus is put onto buses. Based on different driving cycles as well as degradation models, an analysis of the degradation effects that occur during the life cycle and a prediction of the expected lifetime of the fuel cell are presented. It is shown that due to the performance reducing degradation effects a dynamic approach of the TCO becomes necessary. This necessity is emphasized by further TCO parameters that will change significantly in the next few years and accordingly influence the economic viability of the considered vehicle types.