Hydrogen in Off-Road Vehicle Applications

In Germany mobile machines in “off-road” applications are responsible for 8 % of the CO2 emissions in the transport sector. Construction and agricultural machinery are the main contributors to this (80 %). The emissions from construction and agriculture can be reduced by promoting the development and introduction of battery-electric or hydrogen-powered construction and agricultural machinery. Hydrogen is particularly suitable for machines with high power requirements where both fuel cells and combustion engines can be used as energy converters. In this paper, a system comparison of different energy sources and converters is carried out, which names and compares the options for hydrogen logistics. This leads to the need for new developments of technologies and products to enable the use of hydrogen-based construction and agricultural machinery. A vehicle concept is presented that can be advantageous for this need.