Electric vehicles (EVs) have become so common in the UK that they're no longer a novelty. The idea of a car or van running on a lithium-ion battery has gone from being futuristic to ordinary. But hydrogen vehicles? They're still something of a mystery, with few manufacturers showing much commitment to hydrogen fuel cells. At present, the UK only has 16 hydrogen refuelling stations, with little interest in expanding that network.
That said, hydrogen vehicles are starting to make waves again, largely thanks to Renault’s Master Van H2-Tech. This hydrogen-powered van was first revealed at the IAA Transportation show in Hanover, where it stole the spotlight. It also followed up Renault’s win of the prestigious International Van of the Year 2025 award, where the Master beat the Ford E-Transit Custom in a surprising result.
Before getting into why the Master Van H2-Tech could be a game-changer for sustainable transport, it’s worth understanding how hydrogen vehicles actually work. There’s a common misconception that hydrogen and electric powertrains are totally different, but that’s not true. In fact, hydrogen vehicles run on a combination of hydrogen fuel cells and traditional electric batteries. The battery can power the vehicle on its own or tap into the fuel cell for extra juice when needed.
Here’s a quick rundown of how a hydrogen fuel cell works: it has two electrodes, a negatively charged anode and a positively charged cathode. Hydrogen, stored in a pressurised tank, is sent to the anode, while oxygen from the air is fed to the cathode. At the anode, a catalyst splits the hydrogen into protons and electrons. The protons move across the electrolyte to the anode, forming water vapour, while the electrons flow through a circuit, generating electricity to power the motor. The result? Clean energy, with water and heat as the only by-products, provided the hydrogen is produced sustainably.
By working with a battery, a hydrogen fuel cell extends a vehicle’s range significantly. Renault claims that the Master H2-Tech will have a range of 435 miles, whatever the weather. That’s about double what a 33 kWh battery could offer on its own, which is bound to grab the attention of those who need to cover long distances. EVs also tend to lose range in colder weather, so having a more reliable, consistent range could be a big selling point.
Another bonus is the quick refuelling time. The H2-Tech’s pressurised hydrogen tanks can be refilled at dedicated stations in under five minutes – about as long as it takes to check your social media. And unlike some hydrogen-powered vehicles in the past, Renault has ensured that the fuel cell and gas tanks don’t eat into the van’s storage space. So, the payload and capacity are the same as the electric and traditional engine models.
Renault developed the H2-Tech in collaboration with Power Plug, a leading hydrogen infrastructure company in Europe. Together, they’ve formed the joint venture HYVIA, which will focus on everything from R&D to expanding the hydrogen refuelling network. Transporting hydrogen is still tricky and expensive due to its low volume density, but HYVIA hopes to find more efficient ways to tackle these issues.
The Master H2-Tech is set to hit the market in 2025 and could become the go-to choice for hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles. For businesses that need vans capable of long distances and fast refuelling, it offers clear advantages. Plus, there’s the environmental benefit: hydrogen power could help reduce reliance on internal combustion engines, as long as the hydrogen is produced without burning fossil fuels.
However, before the H2-Tech can lead the charge into a hydrogen-fuelled future, there’s still a lot of work to be done. Governments and the private sector will need to address concerns about hydrogen’s flammability and bring down the costs of extraction and transportation, which currently make hydrogen vehicles expensive. While countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands have set targets for expanding their hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, the UK has no such plans yet. If hydrogen is to become a viable option for consumers and businesses, that will need to change.
