Cummins, in conjunction with European Hydrogen Week, shared new research showing that more than half of the United Kingdom (UK) commuters would be willing to travel to work on a train or bus powered by hydrogen to lower their carbon footprint and reduce emissions. Nearly half of commuters in Belgium and Germany expressed the same view.

This research was conducted through Google Surveys in October 2020. Commissioned by Cummins, 6,000 consumers were surveyed across Belgium, Germany and the UK.

Cummins said that the survey results demonstrate positive attitudes towards clean technology alternatives for public transport, with about 40% consumers in Belgium, Germany and the UK willing to pay £1 or €1 more for their daily commute in order to lower their carbon footprint.

48% of Britons expressed that low-carbon technologies are important for the UK’s economic recovery from COVID-19. In addition, more than 40% of citizens in Belgium and Germany agreed that low-carbon technologies are important for their country’s economic recovery plans.

When asked about buying or renting a car powered by hydrogen, more than a quarter of respondents in Belgium and the UK reported concerns with the upfront cost.

Less than 20% of consumers in Germany, the UK and Belgium were also deterred by the limited amount of hydrogen refuelers available.

Furthermore, one in five UK citizens believe that it will take 20-30 years for there to be more cars powered by hydrogen fuel on the road than gas-powered cars, and nearly a quarter believe this will never happen. A third of consumers in Germany and more than a quarter in Belgium agreed.

European consumers are, however, willing to switch to more sustainable public transport—and this technology is available now. Alstom’s iLint, for example, has shown that hydrogen trains are an effective solution for more sustainable rail networks in Europe.