The End of Diesel: Europe’s Buses Are Going Fully Electric — Fast – CleanTechnica

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Electric buses are transforming Europe’s public transportation system faster than many policymakers expected. In 2024, nearly half of all new city buses sold in the European Union were battery-electric, according to a new report from Transport & Environment (T&E). This shift marks a decisive moment in the debate over how to decarbonize transit. The market has spoken, and battery-electric buses have emerged as the clear winner. Cities across Europe are rapidly moving away from diesel and hybrid models, embracing electric buses for their cost savings, efficiency, and environmental benefits.

For European cities and their residents, this transition is a massive win. Electric buses contribute to quieter streets, cleaner air, and lower operational costs for transit agencies. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation is significant, and the data demonstrates that battery-electric buses are not just gaining ground—they have already won. Hydrogen, once considered a viable competitor, has fallen behind, and the more closely we examine the numbers, the more evident it becomes that it is not making a comeback.

Battery-electric buses are no longer a niche solution; they are rapidly becoming the dominant choice for city transit. The Netherlands, Finland, and Norway now see over ninety percent of their new city buses powered by electricity. Denmark, Iceland, and Luxembourg are quickly catching up, with electrification rates surpassing eighty percent. Even larger markets like Spain and the UK have crossed the fifty percent threshold for zero-emission bus adoption, with battery-electric models making up the overwhelming majority. In contrast, hydrogen fuel cell buses accounted for just three percent of new city bus sales across the EU in 2024. The Netherlands, which had once allocated twenty percent of its new city bus purchases to hydrogen in 2021, has now completely phased it out. This shift is not a minor adjustment; it is a clear indication that cities and transit authorities are making firm, data-driven choices against hydrogen as a transit solution.

For years, hydrogen advocates have promoted fuel cell buses as the future of public transit, arguing that they offer advantages such as fast refueling and extended range. However, when cities evaluated the costs, efficiency, and infrastructure requirements, the conclusions were decisive. Hydrogen buses are significantly more expensive to purchase, operate, and maintain than their battery-electric counterparts. The financial burden of hydrogen buses is evident in real-world case studies. Montpellier, France, initially planned to integrate hydrogen buses into its fleet, only to cancel the program after discovering that the cost per kilometer for hydrogen would be €0.95, compared to just €0.15 for an electric bus. A study from Bocconi University found that the lifetime cost per kilometer for a hydrogen bus in Italy was €1.986, nearly double the €1.028 per kilometer for battery-electric models. In Bolzano, Italy, transit operators recorded operating costs of €1.27 per kilometer for hydrogen buses versus €0.55 for electric buses. These financial realities have driven transit agencies away from hydrogen, as even with subsidies, the ongoing expenses are unsustainable.

Beyond cost, efficiency is another major factor contributing to the success of electric buses over hydrogen models. Battery-electric buses make direct use of electricity, while hydrogen requires a multi-step process involving production, storage, transportation, and conversion back into electricity. This results in enormous energy losses. Real-world data from Bolzano’s transit fleet revealed that hydrogen fuel cell buses consumed between 310 and 336 kWh of energy per 100 km, whereas battery-electric buses used only 137 to 154 kWh per 100 km. This means hydrogen buses required more than twice as much energy to drive the same distance as their electric counterparts. With electricity increasingly coming from renewable sources, cities recognize that powering battery-electric buses directly is a vastly superior use of clean energy compared to wasting it on hydrogen production.

Infrastructure costs and fueling logistics further undermine hydrogen’s viability. While battery-electric buses require grid upgrades and charging stations, these investments are scalable and relatively affordable. Hydrogen infrastructure, on the other hand, is costly and unreliable. A single hydrogen refueling station can cost millions of euros to build and maintain. Wiesbaden, Germany, invested €2.3 million in a hydrogen refueling station, only for it to fail within a year, leaving the city’s fleet of fuel cell buses stranded. Unlike electricity, which is delivered through an existing grid, hydrogen must be produced—often using fossil fuels—then transported and stored under high pressure. This makes the supply chain far more complex and expensive than simply plugging buses into a charger. Hydrogen buses also require specialized maintenance and components, leading to higher long-term costs and reduced reliability. These obstacles have resulted in transit agencies across Europe abandoning hydrogen in favor of electric buses.

Reliability has also emerged as a key differentiator between battery-electric and hydrogen buses, with cities reporting far fewer operational disruptions in electric fleets. Hydrogen buses, with their complex fuel cell systems, high-pressure storage tanks, and additional moving parts, have consistently exhibited more maintenance issues and downtime compared to electric buses. In Poznań, Poland, a fleet of hydrogen buses was at least temporarily withdrawn from service due to technical failures, reportedly due to issues with hydrogen purity that could lead to all fuel cells requiring replacement at a cost of hundreds of thousands per bus. Transit agencies across Europe have noted that fuel cell buses require more frequent servicing, with hydrogen systems proving sensitive to variations in temperature and fuel supply. In contrast, electric buses benefit from simpler drivetrains, fewer mechanical components, and a more mature charging infrastructure, making them inherently more reliable. Cities that have transitioned their fleets to battery-electric buses report fewer breakdowns, higher vehicle availability, and reduced maintenance costs, further explaining why hydrogen is losing ground in the market.

The shift to battery-electric buses is already delivering significant benefits to European cities. Cities are lowering their operating costs, as electric buses eliminate fuel expenses and reduce maintenance needs. The transition also improves air quality by removing diesel exhaust from urban environments, leading to lower rates of respiratory diseases and better public health. Electric buses contribute to quieter streets, reducing noise pollution and making cities more livable. At the same time, they dramatically cut carbon emissions, accelerating the path toward net-zero transportation. As battery technology continues to improve, electric buses will only become more efficient and capable of handling longer routes with faster charging times.

With these advantages, it is no surprise that battery-electric buses are rapidly becoming the default choice for transit agencies across Europe. The trends suggest that within a few years, city bus fleets will be one hundred percent zero-emission, with battery-electric models dominating the market. The European Union’s Clean Vehicle Directive, combined with national emissions targets, is accelerating the transition. The speed of this shift has even outpaced expectations, as more cities recognize the financial and operational benefits of electric buses over hydrogen models.

Hydrogen was once seen as a potential alternative for decarbonizing transit, but the numbers now make it clear that its time in urban transportation has passed. Battery-electric buses have outperformed hydrogen in every meaningful category, from cost to efficiency to infrastructure readiness. Some advocates still argue for hydrogen’s potential in long-haul trucking or energy for industrial applications, but for city transit, it is no longer a serious contender. European cities are making smart, evidence-based decisions, and the overwhelming choice is electric buses.

The transformation of urban transit is not a distant goal—it is happening now. European streets are becoming cleaner, quieter, and more sustainable as battery-electric buses replace fossil-fuel-powered models. The momentum behind this shift is unstoppable, and as the market data shows, electric buses are leading the way. The future of public transportation in Europe is electric, and there is no turning back.