Shell says goodbye to hydrogen cars – they are closing all their stations in the state

Shell says goodbye to hydrogen cars – they are closing all their stations in the state

Total change in driver’s licenses – DMV makes this surprising decision

BMW says goodbye to EVs – It has solved the problem of hydrogen engines and from this date begins a new era

BMW and Toyota revolutionize the industry with a hydrogen car

The world is changing, and the automotive world even more so. California has taken a very unexpected hit after six of the seven Shell hydrogen stations have closed permanently, leaving only one in operation in the entire state of California. The reasons? The oil company has hinted that they have had supply problems and external market factors that have bothered their business model. All of this has left us with a big question: has hydrogen lost the battle against electric cars?

Although Shell still maintains some stations for heavy vehicles, the company has made it clear that its priority is changing. Instead of continuing to bet on hydrogen for cars, they are now focusing on charging electric vehicles as the most viable option to reduce emissions. Below we tell you everything we know so far.

What happened to Shell?

Shell had big plans, in 2023 they had announced that they would open 48 new stations in California, but in September everything began to fall apart and they stopped the expansion of their H2 station network. It seemed that they would simply be restructuring their business plan but shortly after this event they began to close some locations without warning.

Finally, in February 2024 was the peak of decline, the oil company confirmed that the closures would be permanent and that there was no turning back. The only H2 service station that has survived has been the Torrance station in Los Angeles, but we cannot take anything for granted either because even this one could disappear soon. Shell is already looking for a buyer for it…

Technology problems… or lack of demand?

Initially, a Shell spokesperson warned that they were temporarily closing their stations, later they confirmed that they had decided to permanently close these stations and that they intended to prioritize heavy mobility over other vehicles, but… what is hidden behind these statements?

California was one of the few states in which the sale of hydrogen vehicles grew in recent years, in 2023 3,143 were registered, less than 1% of battery-electric cars in the same period. But the lack of demand has not been the only problem, of course it has been a combination of things. Shell also faced technical difficulties with its own charging stations, why? because many of the charging stations were supplied by equipment from the Nel brand (a Norwegian company) that is currently being sued for problems and defects in its hydrogen technology… So, a number of problems have come together to detonate the hydrogen industry for Shell, and there is a lot of support for hydrogen vehicles in California, but even there, the hydrogen bet is much riskier than any other.

What now?

It should be noted that Shell has not abandoned hydrogen completely, the company will continue to invest in stations for trucks and other heavy vehicles (where this technology has a much greater market). But for passenger cars, hydrogen is losing the battle and it does not seem that it will be able to regain its position.

But this does not mean that this technology is dead, it just means that it needs to find ways to renew itself and rethink its strategies so that hydrogen can be a viable alternative.

California drivers, we are sorry but there will be many fewer hydrogen stations for you to refuel your vehicles. Do not despair!

READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central

Shell says goodbye to hydrogen cars – they are closing all their stations in the state, source

The post Shell says goodbye to hydrogen cars – they are closing all their stations in the state appeared first on Hydrogen Central.