MIT Startup LNK Energies Aims to Convert Diesel Trucks to Hydrogen Power

Diesel has long been the backbone of heavy freight, but soaring fuel prices have exposed just how vulnerable the industry is to geopolitical shocks. A startup spun out of MIT thinks it has a better answer: retrofitting existing heavy-duty trucks to run on hydrogen instead of diesel. LNK Energies has developed a conversion system that promises lower operating costs and drastically reduced emissions, and it will showcase its technology at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco from October 13–15.

Hydrogen fuel-cell trucks have been explored for long-haul routes because refueling is far quicker than recharging massive battery packs. However, storing hydrogen onboard requires tanks that pressurize the gas to over 800 bar — roughly 800 times atmospheric pressure — which consumes significant energy and adds bulky, expensive equipment. LNK sidesteps this by carrying hydrogen chemically bonded to a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC). The hydrogen is released on demand using a reactor that the company has shrunk from the size of a shipping container to something comparable to a mini-fridge.

“We’re eliminating the expensive compression step,” said Sayandeep Biswas, co-founder and CEO of LNK Energies. The system uses waste heat from the engine to drive the onboard reactor, and the released hydrogen can either be burned in a modified internal combustion engine or fed into a fuel cell to generate electricity. Because the LOHC flows like diesel and can be dispensed with standard pumps, LNK says no new hydrogen infrastructure is needed — existing diesel stations could serve as refueling points.

According to LNK, the total cost of ownership for a Class 8 truck running on its system would be about 13% cheaper than diesel. The company claims that after producing just 50 to 100 trucks, it can undercut diesel at a price of $6.50 per gallon, without relying on government subsidies. “The idea isn’t to have a technology that is cheaper at scale, but one that is cheaper even during that adoption period,” Biswas added.

A lab-scale reactor currently powers a lawnmower engine, but LNK plans to install a larger version in a commercial truck within 18 months. The upfront cost of the trucks will be higher, yet the company is betting that operational savings will drive adoption. By repurposing existing vehicles and infrastructure, LNK hopes to offer a practical pathway to decarbonize freight without waiting for a nationwide hydrogen network.