Dijon’s Hydrogen Dream Turns Sour: City Ditches Fuel Cell Buses for Battery-Electric & Biodiesel

TL;DR: Dijon, France, has dramatically scaled back its ambitious hydrogen transportation plans, abandoning fuel cell buses after finding them more expensive and polluting than diesel. The city is now pivoting to battery-electric and biodiesel hybrid buses, highlighting the economic and environmental challenges of hydrogen FCEVs when real-world numbers hit.

Meta: Dijon, France, abandons hydrogen fuel cell buses due to high costs and emissions, shifting to battery-electric and biodiesel hybrids.

Well, bless their hearts, the city of Dijon, France, tried to make hydrogen happen for their public transport fleet. They went all-in, talking about local production, circularity, and low emissions. But it seems their hydrogen dream just turned sour, like old mustard. The city has officially announced a major reduction and change in its hydrogen plans, ditching fuel cell buses entirely and pivoting to battery-electric and biodiesel hybrids. Turns out, hydrogen couldn't quite cut the mustard, even in Dijon.

A Costly and Carbon-Intensive Misstep

Dijon's original plan was ambitious: produce hydrogen locally via electrolysis, primarily powered by municipal waste-to-energy, then fuel buses, refuse trucks, and light municipal fleets. Sounds green, right? Not so fast, my friends. As a recent analysis from CleanTechnica points out, electrolysis dramatically multiplies the carbon intensity of electricity. Using waste-to-energy power, their hydrogen production would have resulted in emissions more than double that of conventional diesel buses.

It's like buying a fancy new electric stove, but then realizing you have to burn a stack of old tires in your living room to power it. The numbers were unambiguous: the emissions profile was fundamentally misaligned with climate goals, even before considering cost or reliability. And speaking of cost, they'd already ordered 27 hydrogen buses at a cool €1.25 million each from the now-defunct Van Hool, and paid €800,000 upfront. Now they're trying to get that money back from a liquidator, which is about as fun as trying to get a refund on a used pair of socks.

The Pivot to Practicality

Facing a flakey technology, failing suppliers, and eye-watering costs, Dijon made the sensible move. They're out of the hydrogen bus game and are instead focusing on battery-electric and HVO (renewable diesel) hybrid buses. For the eight hydrogen refuse trucks they did receive (at €700,000 each!), they'll now be trucking in gray hydrogen from external suppliers, which offers no meaningful climate benefit compared to diesel. It's a classic case of grand visions running headfirst into economic and scientific reality.

Battery-electric buses, on the other hand, are looking mighty appealing. They're significantly cheaper upfront, have much lower operating costs, and when powered by France's largely nuclear and hydro-powered grid, their emissions are dramatically lower. Even with HVO biodiesel, the emissions reduction is substantial compared to any hydrogen scenario Dijon could realistically achieve. It's like realizing you don't need a jetpack to get to work when a perfectly good electric scooter is sitting right there.

What’s Next

Dijon's experience serves as a cautionary tale for other cities considering hydrogen transportation. The pivot to battery-electric and HVO hybrids demonstrates a growing understanding that practical, proven clean energy solutions often win over aspirational, expensive ones. Expect more cities to scrutinize the real-world emissions and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen projects, leading to a stronger focus on direct electrification and advanced biofuels where necessary. The lessons learned in Dijon will likely influence sustainable urban planning far beyond France.

So, while the hydrogen party in Dijon is over, at least they learned their lesson. Sometimes, the real magic happens when you just keep it simple, stupid!