As a new infographic from Block-Builders.net shows, there have recently been many signs of progress in the field of hydrogen technology. For example, the price of green hydrogen has fallen by 50% since 2015. Forecasts indicate that it will fall by a further 30% by 2025. There are also signs of a paradigm shift in the purchase price of hydrogen-powered cars. For example, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) has developed a low-cost model which could be sold for around €15,000. The average purchase price for a conventional new car in Germany currently stands at €33,580.
One obstacle to widespread mobility applications is the current lack of infrastructure. There are 14,449 conventional filling stations in Germany, compared with 86 hydrogen filling stations. While Germany is the European leader in this respect, the level of penetration is low. A change could also be imminent here though: for example, research is currently underway on filling stations that could be placed in anybody’s basement. Commercial production could possibly begin as soon as next summer.
As can be seen in the infographic, more and more companies are also striving to gain a foothold in the hydrogen sector. Airbus, for example, plans to introduce a CO2-neutral H2 aircraft fleet to the market from 2035. In turn, Toyota is focusing on hydrogen for the HGV sector. The technology could also find its way into the private sector. According to forecasts, the overall share of hydrogen vehicles in the passenger car market could reach around 35% by 2050. Meanwhile, the stock market is also sensing opportunities, with certain associated stocks rising by up to 450% within a single year.
“More and more players are venturing into hydrogen technology and see great opportunities,” observes Block-Builders analyst Raphael Lulay. “Nonetheless, major hurdles still remain. The survey does however show that considerable progress has recently been made in many challenging areas”.