Problems and barriers faced by fleet operators when transitioning to hydrogen

Hydrogen is increasingly viewed by U.S. fleet operators as one of the few viable pathways to deep decarbonization in heavy-duty transport. For Class 7-8 trucks, buses, and high-utilization commercial fleets, battery-electric vehicles often face constraints on range, charging time, grid capacity, or payload capacity. Hydrogen-powered vehicles, by contrast, promise fast refuelling, long duty cycles, and operational patterns closer to those of diesel, while supporting Scope 1 emissions reductions and long-term compliance with tightening emissions targets.

Despite this strategic appeal, hydrogen adoption across U.S. fleets remains limited to pilots and early trials. Recent industry surveys of heavy-duty and coach fleets show that operators broadly support hydrogen in principle, yet remain constrained by vehicle availability, cost exposure, and the readiness of refuelling infrastructure. Let's identify the core barriers to fleet-scale hydrogen adoption in the U.S. and explain why remote hydrogen monitoring and IoT-based operational visibility are becoming prerequisites for moving beyond pilots toward scalable, production-grade deployments.

Why U.S. fleets are looking at hydrogen but remain stuck in the “pilot gap”

Hydrogen attracts the strongest interest from fleets operating on predictable routes, with centralized depots and high daily utilization – conditions common in U.S. regional haulage, transit, municipal services, and logistics hubs. Fast refuelling and long range directly protect vehicle availability and revenue-generating hours, making hydrogen strategically attractive for larger fleets.

However, adoption intent declines sharply when operators assess near-term feasibility. Industry surveys indicate that only around 12% of larger heavy-duty fleets plan to deploy hydrogen vehicles within the next five years. Among mid-sized fleets, intent increases to roughly 22%, and to 24% for very large fleets. Small operators show near-zero adoption plans, highlighting a structural divide where hydrogen risks becoming accessible only to fleets with scale and capital. This results in a persistent pilot gap: hydrogen is widely discussed, selectively tested, but rarely scaled. 

The three hard barriers: vehicles, costs, and refuelling infrastructure

Across U.S. heavy-duty fleet surveys, the same obstacles appear repeatedly, regardless of segment.

Vehicle availability remains the primary blocker

The most frequently cited barrier is the lack of commercially viable hydrogen vehicles. Approximately 47% of heavy-duty fleet operators identify vehicle availability as the top obstacle to adoption. Limited model availability, long lead times, constrained production volumes, and immature service ecosystems make it difficult to plan multi-year fleet transitions. Without confidence in the continuity of vehicle supply and long-term maintenance support, fleets cannot commit to hydrogen beyond small pilot deployments.

Cost uncertainty outweighs strategic intent

Cost is the second major barrier, cited by around 32% of fleet operators. High upfront vehicle prices, uncertain residual values, evolving insurance frameworks, and volatile hydrogen fuel economics complicate traditional total cost of ownership (TCO) calculations. These financial risks are magnified when real operational performance data is limited.

Refuelling infrastructure limits operational confidence

Infrastructure readiness remains a critical constraint. Among hydrogen-interested fleets, about 37% cite insufficient depot hydrogen supply as a top issue, while 33% point to inadequate public refuelling availability. For long-haul and intercity operations, uncertainty around where and when refuelling can occur directly undermines route planning and asset utilization.

Taken together, these findings reveal four tightly coupled gaps:

• Vehicle market gap – limited availability, slow scaling, uncertain maturity;
• Economic gap – high capex, unclear TCO, residual value and insurance risk;
• Infrastructure gap – fragile depot supply and sparse public refuelling;
• Operational gap – limited experience, skills, and real-time visibility.

While OEM roadmaps and infrastructure investment may gradually address the first three, the operational gap is the most immediate and controllable barrier.

Operational reality: where hydrogen breaks down in daily fleet operations

Once hydrogen vehicles enter service, operational challenges emerge quickly. Refuelling delays caused by equipment faults or supply interruptions cascade into missed routes and idle assets. Maintenance teams encounter unfamiliar systems (compressors, storage tanks, dispensers) often without sufficient diagnostics or historical data. Safety procedures become more complex, and incident investigation becomes more difficult when telemetry is incomplete or siloed. These realities drive skepticism about hydrogen readiness. In industry surveys, roughly 85% of fleet operators express doubt that current timelines for commercial vehicle decarbonization can be met, citing practical and economic hurdles rather than lack of environmental commitment.

At the core of this skepticism is a lack of continuous operational visibility. Without real-time data on pressure, temperature, flow, refuelling events, and abnormal conditions, hydrogen infrastructure becomes a black box. This uncertainty increases perceived risk and discourages scale.

Why remote hydrogen monitoring becomes the missing layer

Remote hydrogen monitoring directly addresses the operational uncertainty that stalls adoption. IoT-based systems provide continuous visibility across hydrogen assets, from depot storage and refuelling equipment to consumption patterns and anomaly detection. This visibility enables proactive operations. Safety risks are reduced through early alerts. Infrastructure uptime improves as issues are identified before failure. Maintenance becomes data-driven rather than reactive. Just as importantly, fleets gain objective evidence to support insurance negotiations, regulatory compliance, and internal investment decisions. Industry data also highlights persistent knowledge gaps around hydrogen operations, maintenance, and refuelling. Remote monitoring helps close these gaps by transforming hydrogen systems into transparent, observable assets rather than experimental infrastructure.

The Kaa hydrogen remote monitoring solution is designed to address the operational barriers that prevent U.S. fleets from scaling hydrogen deployments. The platform provides real-time monitoring of hydrogen infrastructure across depots and refuelling sites, aggregating telemetry from storage systems, refuelling equipment, and sensors into a unified operational view. Fleet operators gain continuous insight into critical parameters, including pressure, temperature, flow rates, refuelling events, equipment status, and abnormal conditions. Automated alerts support early intervention, while historical data enables root-cause analysis and performance optimization. By integrating hydrogen operations into existing fleet and energy systems, the solution allows hydrogen to be managed as a core operational asset rather than a standalone pilot.

Conclusion

U.S. fleet interest in hydrogen is real, and long-term market indicators remain positive. However, adoption will not scale on vision alone. Hydrogen will succeed only where fleets can operate it safely, predictably, and efficiently under real-world conditions. Vehicle availability, cost exposure, and infrastructure readiness all matter, but the decisive factor is operational certainty. Without continuous visibility, fleets are forced to absorb risk they cannot quantify or control. Remote hydrogen monitoring provides the missing layer. By delivering real-time insight, risk reduction, and operational control, IoT platforms enable fleets to move from cautious pilots to confident, scalable hydrogen operations. In the energy transition, ambition sets direction, but operational visibility determines outcomes.