Hydrogen Buses Keep Failing – De Lijn Is Just The Latest To Cut Losses

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Based in 1947 in Belgium, Van Hool was a storied identify in bus and coach manufacturing, identified for producing a variety of autos spanning diesel, hybrid, battery-electric, and hydrogen fuel-cell fashions. For many years, it equipped private and non-private transport fleets throughout Europe and past, cementing its repute as an progressive chief in mobility.

By the early 2000s, as various powertrains gained traction, Van Hool grew to become one of many first European producers to significantly discover hydrogen fuel-cell buses. The imaginative and prescient was compelling: zero-emission public transport with quick refueling and lengthy vary, making hydrogen a viable various to diesel and an obvious complement to battery-electric options. The corporate secured orders for hydrogen buses in a number of markets, together with Belgium and the US, touting them as the way forward for clear transit.

But, the economics of hydrogen-powered buses have been at all times precarious. In contrast to battery-electric counterparts, which benefited from speedy enhancements in vitality density, price reductions, and increasing charging infrastructure, hydrogen autos remained costly to buy and function. The refueling infrastructure was sparse, affected by supply-chain bottlenecks, and burdened with excessive upkeep prices.

Compounding these challenges, Van Hool discovered itself struggling financially. By the point it was declared bankrupt by a Belgian industrial court docket in June 2023, the corporate had reportedly amassed practically €400 million in debt. Years of gradual adaptation to the shifting panorama of bus manufacturing — the place battery-electric expertise was more and more dominant — left it weak. Whereas its hydrogen enterprise had appeared forward-thinking, it finally proved to be a pricey miscalculation.

Van Hool did promote battery-electric buses, however it was comparatively gradual in absolutely embracing the shift to electrification. The corporate supplied battery-electric fashions, together with the A12 and CX45E, concentrating on city transit and intercity markets. Nonetheless, its focus remained divided throughout a number of powertrain applied sciences, together with diesel, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel-cell buses.

In contrast to rivals that aggressively transitioned to battery-electric expertise — corresponding to BYD, Solaris, and Daimler Buses — Van Hool maintained a combined technique. Solaris has maintained a various powertrain technique, providing each battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell buses, however what units it other than Van Hool is its clear prioritization of battery-electric expertise whereas treating hydrogen as a distinct segment choice moderately than a core focus. Van Hool’s hesitancy contributed to its monetary struggles, because the market more and more favored battery-electric buses as a consequence of their decrease operational prices, extra developed infrastructure, and rising authorities incentives.

Van Hool’s monetary troubles have been exacerbated by its reluctance to shift manufacturing to lower-cost areas, a transfer that many rivals embraced to stay aggressive. Whereas European bus producers like Solaris and Mercedes-Benz more and more relied on manufacturing amenities in lower-wage international locations to cut back prices, Van Hool saved the majority of its manufacturing in Belgium, the place excessive labor bills added to its monetary pressure. Though it will definitely opened a plant in North Macedonia in 2013, this growth was gradual and inadequate to offset rising prices.

For context, Belgium is split into three main areas: Flanders, Wallonia, and the Brussels-Capital Area, every with its personal official language and authorities construction. Flanders, within the north, is Dutch-speaking, and its residents are generally known as Flemish. Wallonia, within the south, is primarily French-speaking, with a small German-speaking group within the east. The Brussels-Capital Area is formally bilingual (French and Dutch) however predominantly makes use of French.

Public transit is a alng these regional traces: The Line operates in Flanders, TEC (Transport And Group) runs in Wallowonia, and STIVB (Socié (Socié (Socié (Socié the Transports/Brussels/Brussels/Brussels) servants Brussels. All three transit operators are stats-owned, whiteh The Line managed by the Flemish authorities, TEC by the Walloon authorities, and STIVB by the Brussels-Capital Area.

De Lijn in Flanders launched 5 hydrogen buses in Antwerp in 2014, supported by an on-site hydrogen filling station. Nonetheless, points with servicing and operational prices rapidly grew to become obvious. By 2018, the Flemish authorities had dominated out additional purchases of hydrogen buses, citing their excessive prices, upkeep difficulties, and an unsure hydrogen provide chain.

When Van Hool lastly collapsed in 2023, it left De Lijn and different clients with out assist for his or her hydrogen fleets. With no upkeep choices and rising operational prices, De Lijn not too long ago dismantled its hydrogen filling station and retired the remaining hydrogen buses. Annick De Ridder, the Flemish minister for mobility, made the choice clear: “The focus of De Lijn is on battery vehicles. There are no plans to use hydrogen buses. From an operational and financial point of view, hydrogen is currently not interesting for public transport in Belgium.”

Quantron in Germany made a similar bad bet to Van Hoolsupporting each battery-electric and hydrogen drivetrains. It left IKEA Austria with a fleet of ineffective autos, unsupported and inoperable after Quantron went beneath. The sample is obvious: not focusing solely on battery-electric drivetrains is fiscally ruinous. When producers fold, clients are left with costly paperweights.

As I wrote in October of 2024New Flyer in North America is making the identical strategic blunder as Quantron and Van Hool, not committing to battery-electric and losing cash on hydrogen, and North America’s transit companies are in danger consequently. New Flyer’s battery-electric buses are costlier than rivals and fewer succesful as a consequence of their lack of give attention to the excessive prices of constructing hydrogen buses as nicely. Mixed with the well-documented issues with hydrogen buses together with low reliability, costly upkeep and costly gasoline, my assertion is that that each hydrogen bus New Flyer manages to promote loses it the sale of three battery-electric buses.

For over 20 years, hydrogen bus trials around the world have followed the same predictable arc: large guarantees, excessive prices, operational complications, and inevitable abandonment. From Vancouver and Chicago within the early 2000s to Vienna, Mallorca, and Wiesbaden simply final yr, transit companies have repeatedly launched pilot applications solely to observe them collapse beneath the load of financial actuality. Upkeep prices soar, refueling stations break down, and the hydrogen provide chain stays an costly mess. Again and again, companies have both quietly retired their hydrogen fleets or outright canceled deliberate procurements, but some nonetheless fail to soak up the apparent lesson—hydrogen for public transit is an overhyped lifeless finish.

The sheer scale of failures needs to be sufficient to discourage any rational transit planner. Iceland mothballed its fleet when EU funding dried up. Perth deserted its trial. Whistler’s fleet froze within the chilly and price taxpayers a fortune. São Paulo, Oslo, San Remo, Hamburg, Pau, Montpellier, and Tarragona all tried and rejected hydrogen for a similar causes. Even Liverpool, unable to safe a viable hydrogen provide, noticed its brand-new fleet sit idle. In the meantime, California retains propping up hydrogen transit with billions in subsidies, pushed extra by lobbying than logic. The underside line is obvious: the place hydrogen trials have been objectively assessed, companies overwhelmingly shift to battery-electric buses — cheaper, less complicated, and already dominating the market. If historical past is any information, at this time’s hydrogen transit fans can be tomorrow’s cautionary tales.

De Lijn’s determination to scrap its hydrogen buses and dismantle its refueling infrastructure is simply the newest in a protracted line of transit companies abandoning hydrogen in favor of battery-electric buses. De Lijn’s transfer comes as no shock — Van Hool’s chapter left its hydrogen fleet with out assist, refueling was pricey, and upkeep grew to become unattainable. The Flemish authorities’s blunt evaluation — that hydrogen just isn’t viable for public transit — echoes the conclusions reached by companies worldwide. Hydrogen’s champions preserve promising that economies of scale will repair its obtrusive flaws, however historical past retains proving them improper. De Lijn is simply the newest to chop its losses, and it received’t be the final.