Energy Management – the key that unlocks Zero Emission Vehicles

Oil was the dominant energy source for road vehicles because it was so convenient and so energy-dense. To take one example: a 44-tonne truck with a 400-litre fuel tank has a usable energy capacity equivalent to 2,000 kWh (the same as 20 long-range Teslas). Not even Elon Musk would claim to offer a truck with that much capacity.

That problem has led to a range of possible alternatives: battery electric, fuel cell, hydrogen-burning diesel engines and synthetic fuels. However, the fact that there are multiple alternatives tells you that no one solution is universally applicable.

This white paper is not about championing one solution – indeed, we can see circumstances where all four would make sense. It is about showing that, with no single solution on offer, we are likely to use hybrid solutions (e.g. fuel cell plus battery). In that case, the energy sources become less important, and the way they are integrated and managed becomes far more significant.

Our aim is to explain how new ways of managing energy can transform the overall efficiency of zero-emission vehicles, enabling them to approach diesel-engine levels of convenience and performance.