Analysis of benefits and drawbacks of using hybrid drive special purpose vehicles

The article aims to analyze and assess the economic and ecological advantages and disadvantages of switching from conventional drives to hybrid drives and hydrogen fuel cells in special purpose vehicles used in railway maintenance. The environmental regulations regarding exhaust emissions restrict the rolling stock options for rail operators. However, legislation alone is insufficient to further promote the use of more ecological vehicle drive solutions. Hence it is necessary that such new vehicles are also able to offer economic and operational benefits, that can encourage their adoption into the rolling stock. Such cost-benefit analysis was conducted to assess the likelihood and rate of adoption of this type of technology. This included a literature analysis, fuel, hydrogen and electricity cost projections and a SWOT analysis of the vehicles. The cost predictions of analyzed fuels varied significantly, in most cases electric energy being the cheapest, and the most expensive case of diesel fuel still remaining cheaper than hydrogen fuel.