Vehicle systems firm Hexagon Purus and fuel-cell manufacturer Ballard Power Systems will collaborate to manufacture class six and class seven fuel-cell electric trucks.

The trucks will use Hexagon’s electric drivetrains and storage systems and Ballard’s fuel-cell module.

“Fuel cell and hydrogen technologies will enable the decarbonisation of the heavy-duty transportation sector with long range and quick vehicle refuelling, without compromising on payload,” says Nicolas Pocard, vice president of marketing and strategic partnerships at Ballard.

The trucks will have a range of more than 400 miles, with refuelling times comparable to conventional trucks.

400 miles – Future range of the trucks

First prototype of the hydrogen truck will be delivered in the second quarter of 2022 and first fleet deployments will be in and around the Los Angeles Basin area. The two firms say the trucks should enter California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Program (HVIP) eligible vehicle list in 2022.

Trucks in the US are classified by weight. Class six and seven trucks are at the heavier end of the categories, with only class eight being heavier.

Hyundai already sells a class seven truck, while Hyzon Motors has brought a class eight truck to market.

Large haulage vehicles are better suited to running on hydrogen fuel cells than grid-charged battery electric vehicles (BEVs), according to speakers at a PE Live event on the use of hydrogen in haulage.

The complications of grid-charging for heavier BEVs mean hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles should be the preferred solution for existing fleet operator, the event panellists agreed.

---

Author: Tom Young