Exactly. The challenge with hydrogen that we've seen is that it's extremely flammable (even when mixed with a small amount of air) so it requires thousands of pounds of reinforcement to make it safe to carry on a truck, which dramatically cuts payload capacity. (Carbon dioxide, by contrast, is thankfully not at all flammable.) Then, of course, there are the challenges with producing carbon neutral green hydrogen, since currently 99% of the world's hydrogen is produced using natural gas or coal. Plus building out a hydrogen distribution and fueling infrastructure all over the world.
The challenge with Hydrogen is that it leaks quickly out of systems so they need to be very tight fitting. The combustion element isn't the huge challenge - in fact diesel and gasoline are more dangerous from an accident perspective if there is a tank leak because they remain on the scene setting up a flammability risk whereas hydrogen readily and incredibly quickly dissipates into the atmosphere.
For hydrogen to work in the trucking space you work on end-to-end systems, therefore negating the need to change the entire infrastructure. You target 80% of the trucking industry and leave the last might to more carbon intensive mechanisms.
I think the approach that best works for your company - and the one that I natively believe in: We need all of these technologies to change the future narrative and not fall into a situation where the new technologies are competing against each other.
If you can remove the technology risk/operation risk and start deploying these systems quickly - you have a very promising opportunity ahead of you. Don't waste time trying to compete against EV or Hydrogen. All of the above is the approach.
The challenges in of hydrogen make it less practical than batteries. Storage at 10,000psi, incredible upper and lower explosive limits, hydrogen embrittlement etc.
Have you ever met a truck mechanic who didn't perpetually smell of diesel? Do you want them working with explosive gasses instead?
Gas is as combustive as hydrogen - so not sure what you are referring to as a mechanic.
Hydrogen leaks much faster and dissipates quickly into the atmosphere (unlike gas/diesel) defusing the risk of combustion (flip side is much harder to contain and systems need to be tighter). However if it gets caught under pressure it has a risk to it.
Gasoline has an upper and lower explosive limit of 2% to 7%. What this means is by storing it in a moderately well sealed container it quickly becomes too rich to support combustion.
Hydrogen is 4% to 75%. This means almost any concentration of hydrogen and oxygen is flammable.
I should have responded to your original comment - hydrogen and batteries have very different potential range of applications and both of them have a place in the future of our energy systems.
To your flammability point - yes that is true - there are other advantages to Hydrogen being that it lighter than air and dissipates relatively quickly (diffusing the explosion risk) and that it is no toxic. Where as in the case of a car accident gasoline pools underneath the car and remains on site and a continued risk.
There are disadvantages to Hydrogen as well - the flammability has to be managed, its a pernicious molecule and causes embrittlement. All solvable through engineering.
I think you are referring to only electrical trucks; Hydrogen still carries on load and doesn't have the same operational cold weather challenges.