A Novel Vehicle Simulation Framework for the Evaluation of H2 and Battery Electric Powertrain Architectures

Journal article, 2025

Recent policies have set ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to mitigate climate change and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. In this context, the feasibility of hydrogen applications is under investigation in various sectors and promoted by government funding. The transport sector is one of the most investigated sectors in terms of emission mitigation strategies, as it contributes to about one-fifth of the total GHG emissions. This study proposes an integrated numerical approach, using a simulation framework, to analyze potential powertrain alternatives in the road transport sector. Non-causal point parametric vehicle models have been developed for various vehicle classes to evaluate key environmental, energy, and economic performance indicators. The modular architecture of the simulation framework allows the analysis of different vehicle classes. The developed framework has been used to compare powertrain alternatives based on hydrogen and electricity energy carriers. Light-, medium-, and heavy-duty applications have been analyzed. Additionally, a vehicle performance indicator has been proposed as a quantitative index to compare alternative architectures. A sensitivity analysis is conducted showing that the optimal powertrain architecture depends on various factors (e.g., vehicle range, fuel costs, powertrain components costs, emission factors, etc.). The results show that the battery electric and fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles are the most promising options for all vehicle classes. Moreover, hydrogen-based powertrains generally perform better in terms of total cost of ownership and GHG emissions for long-range vehicles. In contrast, battery electric vehicles are better suited for short-range applications.