Ballard struggles with hydrogen long game

Hydrogen’s zero-emission promise is taking longer than expected to materialise, and not everybody is going to survive the wait. Struggles at Canadian fuel cell specialist Ballard Power Systems illustrate the sort of challenges early-movers currently face.

The company has been positioning for a hydrogen-powered future for more than 30 years and today offers fuel cell power products for trucks, buses, trains, and boats. In May 2024 it unveiled the ninth generation of its fuel cell engine, the FCmove-XD, specifically targeted at heavy trucks. “We are laser focused on strengthening the economic value proposition for heavy-duty mobility customers,” said Ballard Chief Engineering Officer Mircea Gradu at the launch.