Fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV)
An electric vehicle that generates its electricity on board from hydrogen in a fuel cell, emitting only water vapour at the tailpipe.
A fuel cell electric vehicle stores compressed hydrogen, usually at 700 bar for cars and 350 bar for buses and trucks, in carbon-fibre tanks. A proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell stack combines hydrogen with oxygen from air to produce electricity, which drives an electric motor; a small buffer battery handles peaks and captures braking energy.
Car consumption: about 0.8–1.1 kg H2/100 km
Example: Toyota Mirai, 5.6 kg tank, 650 km WLTP
Fuel cell stack efficiency: about 50–60% (LHV)
Advantages: refuelling in 3–5 minutes and longer range for heavy duty cycles. Disadvantages: much lower overall efficiency than a BEV. Producing green hydrogen by electrolysis (about 65–70% LHV), compressing it (about 10% energy penalty), and converting it back in a fuel cell yields a power-to-wheel efficiency of roughly 25–35%, versus 70–80% for a BEV. An FCEV thus needs roughly 2.5–3 times more electricity per kilometre.
Market adoption has stalled: about 90,000 FCEVs were on the road worldwide by 2024, mainly in Korea, the US (California), China and Japan, and many hydrogen stations in Germany and California closed in 2023–2024. Interest has shifted to heavy trucks, buses and possibly rail, although battery trucks compete there too. Most hydrogen today is grey hydrogen from natural gas.
Related terms
All terms →- Fuel cell
An electrochemical device that converts the chemical energy of hydrogen or another fuel directly into electricity and heat, without combustion.
- Green hydrogen
Hydrogen produced by splitting water in an electrolyser powered by renewable electricity, with near-zero direct CO2 emissions.
- Battery electric vehicle (BEV)
A vehicle propelled solely by electric motors powered from an on-board rechargeable battery, with no internal combustion engine.
- Well-to-wheel emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions of a vehicle from producing and delivering its energy (well-to-tank) plus using it in the vehicle (tank-to-wheel), per unit distance.
- Grey hydrogen
Hydrogen made from natural gas by steam methane reforming without carbon capture; the dominant and cheapest production route today.
- Electrolyser
An electrochemical device that uses electric current to split water into hydrogen and oxygen; the core equipment of green hydrogen production.