Demand for Hydrogen Ramps Up as OEMs Make Progress on Heavy-Duty Hydrogen Vehicles
Article created for the digital issue of the 黑料社区Foundation鈥檚 magazine.
Original equipment manufacturers are proving out new hydrogen technologies to meet more stringent emissions requirements, and the new vehicle designs are expected to dramatically increase demand for hydrogen, according to speakers at . (Read Pilot is Moving Forward with EV Charging and Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure for more travel center news from the ACT Expo 2024.)
鈥淎ction is happening now in the four areas鈥攑olicy, energy supply, infrastructure and vehicle supply,鈥� said .
Hydrogen has a number of benefits for heavy-duty trucking.
Vehicles are fueled similar to how diesel is dispensed today, there is no extra weight, and vehicles can travel 500 miles or more before refueling. 鈥淭rying to mimic a diesel like fueling experience is the goal,鈥� said .
Hydrogen can be used in hydrogen fuel cells or in internal combustion engines. , said the hydrogen internal combustion engine has been recognized by EPA as a zero-emission technology.
鈥淚t is capable of meeting the new, more stringent 2027 NOx regulations,鈥� Jhawar said. 鈥淲ithin this one fuel type you could likely have a medium duty and heavy duty. It starts combatting a little bit with the diesel market.鈥�
OEMs are deploying hydrogen trucks.
, said Hyundai has fuel cell commercial vehicle deployments all over the world. 鈥淚n Korea, running more than 500 fuel cell heavy-duty trucks,鈥� he said.
Hyundai has also deployed hydrogen fuel cell trucks in California and has found that fuel cells are robust. 鈥淭he customer proof is a great experience that gives us a big tailwind for the next steps, which we are planning to do and execute further,鈥� he said.
OEMS are forming partnerships.
Several OEMs have formed partnerships to help bring hydrogen technology to market. 鈥淥ne thing I know our team has learned is that partnerships are the key to success here. I feel like we鈥檙e in a stage where we鈥檙e going from diesel to everything,鈥� said .
, a joint venture between Daimler Truck AG and Volvo Group, has created its core product, the BZA 150. 鈥淲e can really develop fuel cell systems that are heavy-duty focused,鈥� said Nicholas Loughlan, chief technology officer for cellcentric. 鈥淥ur systems are designed to do exactly what you would expect from today鈥檚 diesel powertrain.鈥�
Last year, cellcentric kicked off its NextGen project, which will have 30% more power density, 40% less complexity and 20% less fuel consumption compared to the BZA 150 and will be targeted to the North American market.
Paccar and Toyota partnered as part of the Zero- and Near-Zero Emissions Freight Facilities (ZANZEFF) 鈥淪hore to Store鈥� project at the Port of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles basin and the Inland Empire. The OEMs jointly designed heavy-duty, Class 8 fuel cell electric vehicles program with Kenworth designing and building the Class 8 T680 FCEVs and Toyota designing and building the powertrain鈥檚 fuel cell electric power system powered by hydrogen placing 10 trucks into service.
鈥淜enworth鈥檚 T680 fuel cell is great opportunity to take one application in a world of zero-emission technologies and deploy it,鈥� Adams said, adding that the OEM is in the process of dialing it in and will run pilots in late 2024 and early 2025. 鈥淲e are really confirming we have the right recipe of integrations on the fuel cell.鈥�
Adams added that the companies expect to have production units in late 2025. Kenworth is working with customers and getting deposits on the trucks they want to buy. As part of the process, the OEM is asking them if they have hydrogen and what lanes they are going to run. 鈥淭his will help with the chicken and the egg scenario,鈥� Adams said. 鈥淭his has been really important for us as we go to market.鈥�
What about hydrogen fueling infrastructure?
Getting hydrogen vehicles on the road has proven the capabilities of the technology, but the infrastructure side is creating a bottleneck. 鈥淭he hydrogen price and the supply of the fuel itself is something that is still being attacked by cross collaboration,鈥� Loughlan said. 鈥淚t needs partnerships across industry sectors and with public, legislative policy makers in order to set the right framework. That is something similar in Europe and North America.鈥�
Okafor said is making hydrogen available and has five hydrogen stations. 鈥淚nfrastructure is the piece we鈥檙e focused on,鈥� she explained while moderating a panel discussion on hydrogen.
Air Products and Chemicals has made an investment of $15 billion to execute large, clean hydrogen projects. 鈥淲e are building commercial multi-modal stations. Our new high-capacity stations allow for equipment redundancy and storage,鈥� Guter explained.
Guter also emphasized the need for collaboration. 鈥淥ver the next 25 years, we must remake the world鈥檚 energy infrastructure system, which is something that took us more than 100 years,鈥� he said.
//听This article was created for聽Stop Watch magazine, the magazine of the 黑料社区Foundation. Foundation is the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc. The 黑料社区Foundation provides programs and products to strengthen travel plazas鈥� ability to meet the traveling public鈥檚 needs through improved operational performance and business planning. Visit www.natsofoundation.org for more information.
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