SEOULTECH researchers reveal strong public support for hydrogen fuel cell trucks

Governments worldwide are increasingly adopting policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in response to the growing environmental challenges posed by climate change. Within the mobility sector, a major priority is replacing conventional fossil fuel based internal combustion engine vehicles with low carbon alternatives, such as battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Heavy duty trucks, which account for a disproportionate share of transport emissions, have become a key focus of these decarbonization strategies.

In South Korea, the government has outlined an ambitious plan to decarbonize freight transport by expanding the deployment of hydrogen fuel cell heavy duty trucks. The policy targets an increase to 30,000 hydrogen fuel cell trucks by 2040, accompanied by a corresponding reduction in conventional diesel-powered vehicles. If implemented, the transition is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the mobility sector by approximately 8.74 million tons.

The researchers evaluated public acceptance using a contingent valuation approach, a widely used economic method for estimating willingness to pay for non-market goods. Data were collected through one-on-one interviews with 1,000 households across South Korea in 2024. Respondents were asked how much they would be willing to pay annually, through income tax, to support the hydrogen truck expansion. The study was made available online on 29 September 2025 and have been published in Volume 174 of the journal Transport Policy on 1 December 2025.

Prof. Yoo highlights the novelty of the research, “This is the first study to quantitatively assess public acceptance of expanding hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks, not passenger cars or buses.”

The analysis revealed that the average annual willingness to pay per household amounts to KRW 3,121 (USD 2.28) from 2024 to 2033. When aggregated nationally and discounted at a social discount rate of 4.5 percent, this equals a present value of KRW 572.4 billion (USD 418.4 million). In 2024 terms, the estimated willingness to pay per ton of carbon dioxide reduction is KRW 65,465 USD 47.85, far exceeding the prevailing carbon credit price of KRW 9,245 (USD 6.76) per ton.

These findings indicate that, despite high upfront costs for vehicles and refueling infrastructure, expanding hydrogen fuel cell heavy duty trucks is a socially profitable investment.

Beyond valuation, the study also identifies practical barriers to adoption. Large-scale hydrogen refueling stations are often located at bus depots, limiting access for freight vehicles. The researchers recommend expanding or relocating stations along key logistics routes and adjusting acquisition tax reductions to match those offered for hydrogen buses, thereby encouraging logistics companies to adopt the technology.

“In the long run, our research contributes to accelerating the decarbonization of the logistics sector. For the public, this means significantly cleaner air and delayed climate change impacts, as heavy-duty trucks are currently major emitters. Furthermore, our finding that the residents in the Seoul Metropolitan Area have a higher willingness to pay suggests that in the next 5–10 years, targeted education and promotion in non-metropolitan areas will be crucial to achieving balanced national support for carbon neutrality,” concludes Prof. Yoo.
 

***

Reference
DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.103831  

About Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SEOULTECH)
Seoul National University of Science and Technology, commonly known as 'SEOULTECH,' is a national university located in Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Founded in April 1910, around the time of the establishment of the Republic of Korea, SEOULTECH has grown into a large and comprehensive university with a campus size of 504,922 m2.

It comprises 10 undergraduate schools, 35 departments, 6 graduate schools, and has an enrollment of approximately 14,595 students.

Website: https://en.seoultech.ac.kr/

About the authors
Prof. Seung-Hoon Yoo is a professor in the Department of Future Energy Convergence, College of Creativity and Convergence Studies, at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, South Korea. He earned his PhD in economics from Seoul National University. His research focuses on energy and environmental economics and policy, cost–benefit analysis, water resources management, marine policy, and techno-economics. He has published extensively in leading international journals, including Energy Policy, Applied Energy, Renewable Energy, Sustainability, Science of the Total Environment, Marine Policy, Utilities Policy, Solar Energy, and Hydrogen Energy research journals.

Mr. Min-Ki Hyun is a Ph. D. course student in Department of Energy Policy, Graduate School of National Defense Convergence Science at Seoul National University of Science and Technology. His main research areas include energy and environmental economics and policy, cost-benefit analysis, and techno-economics and policy.