10. Techno-Economic Assessment of Lower Carbon Footprint Powertrains for Commercial Transport

New greenhouse gas emission regulations around the globe are setting challenging requirements for the commercial transport sector. In the United States (US) and Europe, more than 40% Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) reduction is expected for new heavy-duty vehicles in 2030. Hydrogen internal combustion engines, hydrogen fuel cells, and battery electric vehicles are the frontrunner technologies to comply with greenhouse gas regulations. Nonetheless, these technologies imply different production costs, infrastructure deployment, and powertrain operational requirements. These factors can dictate the technology penetration and its effectiveness as a cost-effective solution for reducing CO₂ emissions for the final user. Therefore, this chapter focuses on providing an overview and comparison of hydrogen internal combustion engines, fuel cells, and battery electric vehicles from a powertrain performance and total cost of ownership perspective. For this, a detailed review is provided, based on the most recent literature available, indicating the technologies and associated costs for producing each powertrain, leading to the manufacturer suggested retail price. The powertrain performance potential is also explored, taking into consideration efficiency and emissions. Finally, a total cost of ownership analysis is presented, comparing simulated data obtained from detailed models developed in GT-Drive with available literature information.