In the face of rapidly changing global regulations, clean hydrogen still has a prominent place at the table for decarbonization. The technical benefits of hydrogen are well-known: high energy density, fast refueling capabilities near the levels of diesel, and growing global infrastructure. However, once thought of as a holistic solution to deliver net-zero, hydrogen has carved out a role as the logical green-energy alternative for heavy-duty on-road and nonroad mobility applications. As the battery electric vehicle (BEV) segment is finding out, the next challenge is making hydrogen available for all who want to use it. An innovative service model has emerged to lower the barrier for commercial vehicles to adopt this transformative energy source.
Hydrogen is by no means new, used in cement making, metal treating, and fertilizer applications (among others), but its applications in energy and mobility are slowly gaining momentum due to recent advancements in production, declining costs, and robust government support. Hydrogen is currently produced through three primary methods:
Gray hydrogen - steam methane reforming (SMR)
Blue hydrogen - SMR with carbon capture and storage (CCS)
Green hydrogen - wind and solar converted to hydrogen through electrolysis
Once hydrogen is made, it is converted to electricity for vehicle propulsion through a hydrogen fuel cell.
Getac’s rugged solutions support the deployment of fuel cell technology by enabling real-time monitoring, control, and management across hydrogen storage, transportation, and refueling infrastructure.
Fuel cell technology plays a central role in the hydrogen mobility ecosystem, enabling the efficient and clean conversion of hydrogen into electricity—with thermal efficiencies reaching up to 90% and electrical efficiencies around 60%. In contrast, traditional combustion engines typically operate at less than half those values. Higher efficiency not only means lower emissions and quieter operation, but also eliminates the need for thermal energy conversion, making fuel cells a highly attractive option for modern transportation. Unlike combustion engines, fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy.
Getac’s rugged mobile solutions are able to play a crucial role in the development and deployment of fuel cell technology by aiding in monitoring and control of fuel cell performance, managing hydrogen storage and transportation, and overseeing refueling infrastructure. Getac supports the monitoring and control of fuel cell performance, manages hydrogen storage and transportation, and oversees refueling infrastructure. These advancements in fuel cell technology drive the growth of the hydrogen mobility market and boost hydrogen production rates, accelerating the widespread adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles and hydrogen refueling stations.
Fuel cell technology enables the widespread adoption of clean energy and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions to meet global targets in support of net zero and the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change global temperature rise target of 1.5°C from the preindustrial 19th century. Getac’s expertise in rugged mobile solutions can accelerate the development and deployment of fuel cell technology, contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable transportation sector.
By supporting innovation and development in fuel cell technology, Getac helps create new and more efficient hydrogen mobility systems, playing a vital role in the global energy transition.
In the last five years, countries across Asia, Europe, and North America have announced massive infrastructure investments in hydrogen. The transportation sector is central to these efforts, with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles demonstrating their ability to match the range and refueling speed of diesel vehicles—especially relevant to commercial, heavy-duty, and logistics applications. Low-carbon hydrogen in advancing clean mobility, and plays a key role in strengthening market presence in regions like California's hydrogen mobility sector.
While battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have gained popularity for light-duty passenger cars and medium-duty public transit, hydrogen presents distinct advantages for heavy-duty applications, particularly commercial trucks. These vehicles benefit from hydrogen’s potential to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, making it an ideal solution for long-distance travel. Large, bulky batteries add significant weight to heavy trucks, which negatively affects range—one of the most common concerns about BEVs. Additionally, larger batteries require much longer charging times, another key barrier for consumers considering electric vehicles. These challenges are even more pronounced in the heavy-duty sector.
At scale, batteries carry additional hurdles for heavy duty. First, the strain on the grid for another segment charging in tandem with light duty would strain and potentially overload the grid. Second, high-voltage rapid charging, a major objective of BEV manufacturers to reduce charge times, places even more strain on the grid. This compounds an already challenging condition.
Liquid hydrogen, with its higher density and storage efficiency, offers significant advantages over gaseous hydrogen for long-haul logistics. It plays a crucial role in zero-emission transportation solutions, enhancing performance and reducing CO₂ emissions for heavy-duty vehicles.
The phrase hydrogen truck is now a strategic market segment with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), infrastructure providers, and digital innovators all racing to support large-scale adoption to realize the financial and lifecycle carbon benefits of hydrogen. It is clearer than ever that there will not be a winner between BEVs and hydrogen, as both will play an important role for mobile decarbonization. But for high-weight, high-duty mobile applications (including operations of a bus fleet), hydrogen is the compelling solution.
LienHwa New Energy connects the entire hydrogen value chain in Taiwan by integrating production, infrastructure, vehicle deployment, and after-sales support to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen-powered commercial transportation.
Similar to the model the EU is pursuing to build a holistic infrastructure to deliver commercial-scale hydrogen, one of the most ambitious hydrogen mobility projects is happening in Taiwan, led by a joint venture (JV) between LienHwa and Linde Gas (Linde). The JV formed a conglomerate with partners MiTAC and Getac named LienHwa New Energy (LHNE). Their goal: to establish a Transportation as a Service (TaaS) model built around hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles and build a local hydrogen economy in Taiwan.
Linde is the global leader of hydrogen production, and is focused on low-carbon hydrogen production and carbon capture. They view green H2 gaining meaningful share in Taiwan by 2040. A critical benchmark would be to reduce the hydrogen price from US$15/kg to around $10-12. The LHNE project will consider the use of both liquid and gaseous hydrogen, acknowledging that gaseous hydrogen requires more high-pressure gas trailers for delivery compared to liquid hydrogen, impacting cost and logistics.
LienHwa will oversee the entire hydrogen TaaS ecosystem, from managing electrolyzer partnerships to selecting local chassis providers and forming strategic alliances. The increasing value of hydrogen technology in response to regulatory pressures for clean transportation solutions will be a key focus. Currently, Taiwan only has two commercial hydrogen fueling stations, but the JV aims to build infrastructure, deploy fuel cell buses this year and trucks in 2026, and finance leasing models. Importantly, the vehicles will come with comprehensive after sales service agreements—a substantial benefit that Getac brings to the group with their rugged, AI-enabled intelligent solutions and market relationships and reputation.
LHNE has seen that guaranteeing hydrogen supply, along with providing support across the entire value chain through service and support, is critical to the market adoption of hydrogen.
Getac brings two key enabling benefits to the LHNE conglomerate:
As hydrogen fuel cell technology continues to evolve, Getac’s rugged devices support multiple stages of the hydrogen mobility value chain, including fuel cell electric vehicles, hydrogen refueling stations, and hydrogen production facilities.
Getac’s solutions are engineered to support efficient and safe operation of hydrogen fueling systems in hydrogen mobility. They facilitate the monitoring and control of fuel cell performance, manage hydrogen storage and transportation, and oversee refueling infrastructure. Designed to withstand extreme temperatures, humidity, and vibration, Getac’s rugged mobile solutions are built for the harsh environments often encountered in hydrogen mobility applications.
Getac accelerates the adoption of hydrogen mobility, paving the way for a cleaner and more sustainable transportation sector while delivering improved safety and equipment performance monitoring.
Hydrogen environments are thought to be high-risk due to the flammability—in reality they can be safer than diesel, which can combust more readily than H2 in some cases. Getac’s rugged computing solutions meet relevant ANSI/ATEX compliance, making them suitable for use in areas such as hydrogen refueling stations and fuel cell maintenance facilities, where certified equipment is essential. The deployment of hydrogen refueling stations is crucial for advancing hydrogen mobility in Europe, creating a comprehensive infrastructure network necessary for supporting hydrogen-powered transportation.
Hydrogen stations play a vital role in supporting clean transportation and enhancing the efficiency of hydrogen as a fuel source for vehicles.
Getac’s AI-enabled software and diagnostics platforms are transforming after sales service. Through Getac Assist, field technicians can access real-time video support, enhancing accuracy and reducing service downtime. Combined with a complete suite of after sales process and technical software solutions delivering automated scheduling, workshop planning, vehicle health check tools along with real time technical information and transparency throughout the complete service process.
The combination of hardware and software enables Getac to serve not just as a supplier—but as a critical enabler of the hydrogen ecosystem in Taiwan and beyond.
The H2 Grand Prix (H2GP) Taiwan 2025 Grand Prix brings together Taiwan’s hydrogen education initiatives, with guests from diverse sectors joining to celebrate the official launch of the event.
While this hydrogen initiative is rooted in Taiwan, its lessons and infrastructure blueprint have global relevance. As nations pursue zero-emission goals, scalable hydrogen mobility models will be vital. The transport sector, including maritime transport and road vehicles, stands to benefit significantly from hydrogen technology as a cleaner energy alternative. Taiwan’s hydrogen truck rollout, supported by LienHwa’s TaaS model and Getac’s rugged solutions, offers a replicable playbook.
The H2 Grand Prix (H2GP) Taiwan 2025 Grand Prix brings together Taiwan’s hydrogen education initiatives, with guests from diverse sectors joining to celebrate the official launch of the event.
Moreover, this initiative encourages innovation beyond industry—linking to educational competitions and public awareness campaigns to nurture the next generation of sustainable tech leaders.
LHNE is bringing a hydrogen ecosystem to Taiwan, and it could be a template for other geographic regions. By combining safety, intelligence, diagnostics, a deep understanding of operational needs, and the mobile customer base, Getac is doing their part to power the next chapter in global transportation—one hydrogen truck at a time.
Explore how Getac can support your hydrogen mobility vision. Contact us today for a consultation or product demo.
Russell Younghusband has been involved in supporting industry with mobile IT projects for over two decades. For the last 10 years, he has specialized in automotive business change and efficiency programs to support the OEMs and their franchised networks with customer retention and aftersales strategies.
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