E-mobility and hydrogen.

Don’t assume hydrogen has no role in e-mobility. Quite the contrary. Hydrogen supplies electricity to the powertrain, meaning it also runs on electric power. For the time being, it appears that the energy for charging the batteries for private vehicles will come from power outlets for the next 10 to 20 years at least. However, in the case of trucks and semi-trailers with their completely different requirements regarding range and energy supply, hydrogen has now surged ahead as an energy source.

A race of sorts is underway, being fought on battlegrounds like raw material supply, battery performance, ecological hydrogen production and safe storage in small spaces. But one thing is for sure. Not only is the end of the combustion engine conceivable but also the end of a market divided into distinct industries and companies. Obviously, the current delays in supply chains are holding us back somewhat, both in Germany and worldwide. Huge ports in China had to close temporarily due to COVID. Container shipping prices have skyrocketed as a result.

The shortage of truck drivers isn’t limited to the UK. The lack of transport capacity for essential semiconductors and certain raw materials is already causing entire production lines at Mercedes-Benz to shut down, not to mention empty supermarket shelves on the British Isles. However, these interruptions in global logistics should be over by mid-2022. The long-term solution to the lack of truck drivers is to replace them with autonomous vehicles.