Michael Sura

Michael SuraSep 19, 2026

In January 2026, Germany’s €220 million public funding scheme for hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and heavy-duty trucks. German government repeatedly uses taxpayers' money to finance "hydrogen as a fuel" projects that don't show clear benefits. I have made a propulsion energy cost comparison for 40t operation of battery-electric, hydrogen, and diesel heavy trucks in Germany. The figures come from real prices available in the market. ➡️ In the first comparison, an electric truck charges at a public EV charger from Millence, while an H2 truck refuels at an H2 MOBILITY station, and a diesel truck fills up at a public gas station. H2 MOBILITY offers hydrogen at around 8 EUR/kg at selected H2 stations, including sites in Düsseldorf (Höherweg) and the Rhine-Neckar region (Mannheim, Heidelberg, Frankenthal, and Ludwigshafen). It is available for Hylane customers using a designated fuel card. It is obvious that battery-electric trucks offer a much lower operating cost per kilometer than hydrogen fuel-cell trucks due to superior energy efficiency, even cost of hydrogen is 8 EUR/kg. ➡️ In the second comparison, I looked at the cost per kilometer for a battery-electric truck charged at a depot versus an H2 truck refueled at a public hydrogen station. Prices at public H2 stations can range dynamically from 11-18 EUR/kg depending on supply contracts and local station costs. German hydrogen refueling stations mostly offer gray hydrogen. The price of unsubsidized pure green hydrogen will be higher. The difference is striking. The battery-electric truck offers almost 5x lower operating costs per km. 🤔 Tesla has not announced an official final European retail price for the Semi, but an estimated launch price would be around 300,000 EUR. The purchase price for a Mercedes-Benz hydrogen truck (Daimler GenH2 / NextGenH2) is estimated to be 420,000-460,000 EUR. Hydrogen is an inherently inefficient fuel due to fundamental physics and thermodynamics, and innovation can't solve these problems. ➡️ The laws of physics and thermodynamics are non-negotiable ⬅️ #hydrogen #hopium #trucks

Michael SuraSep 18, 2026

European truckmakers are calling on the European Union to delay its 2030 CO2 emission targets by 3 years because of a severe shortage of public charging infrastructure, noting that only 2.4% of new heavy-duty trucks registered in the EU are currently zero-emission. While the initial legislation aimed for a 30% reduction by 2030, current regulations mandate an even stricter 43% cut in CO2 emissions. Most European truckmakers technologically lag behind Chinese and Tesla trucks. An e-axle (electric axle) is a fully integrated electric drive unit that integrates drivetrain components like a motor, traction inverter, and transmission (reduction gearbox/differential) into a single, compact housing. Manufacturers of cars, small commercial vehicles, and trucks find this solution more and more appealing. Truck makers use e-axles to eliminate the traditional propshaft (drive shaft) and the massive, multi-speed conventional gearbox primarily to maximize efficiency, save weight, and make more space for batteries. The architecture and layout of e-axles are completely different from those of traditional axles. In traditional rear-wheel-drive vehicles, hypoid gears are necessary because the driveshaft runs longitudinally down the vehicle, requiring the power to turn 90 degrees to drive the transverse axles. E-axles are designed for transverse mounting directly parallel to the driven wheels. Because the motor shaft is already parallel to the axles, you no longer need the complex, heavy, and less efficient 90-degree bend provided by a hypoid gear. In e-axles, multispeed gears are used, but advances in tooth profiles, high-speed bearings, and active oil-injection cooling allow single-speed transmissions to handle higher ratio reduction. An ultra-high-speed electric motor running at 20-25k RPM can be used with this system. It results in a smaller, lighter motor with a very high power density. ➡️ Single motor + multispeed e-axle integrates the electric motor, gearbox, mechanical differential, and traction inverter into a single structural housing. ➡️ Dual-motor e-axle integrates two electric motors, gearbox, mechanical differential, and traction inverter. The combination of two motors on the axle increases total power and torque delivery. ➡️ Dual-motor distributed e-axle. In this layout, two separate electric motors sit within the same axle assembly, allowing independent torque control or split power delivery for each side or wheel end. Many dual-motor layouts eliminate the heavy mechanical differential, replacing the mechanical differential with electronic torque vectoring that allows setting independent speed and torque control between the left and right wheels. Independent management of both motors improves vehicle stability, traction on slippery surfaces. 👉 An integrated e-axle system significantly enhances electric vehicle efficiency, reduces manufacturing costs, and optimizes vehicle packaging. #tesla #volvo #daf