In an event ruled by battery-electric trucks, hydrogen made a splash on the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo last May. It happened again this week at the large Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The universe’s most typical element got quite a lot of attention around fuel cells and direct use within the typically gasoline- or diesel-powered internal combustion engine (ICE).
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Hydrogen in every single place
Global automakers like Hyundai and Tier 1 suppliers like Robert Bosch talked about how they plan to include hydrogen to power fuel cells and directly into engines.
In Hyundai’s case, it envisions a logistics ecosystem using Xcient fuel cell-powered trucks to maneuver parts into and haul finished electric vehicles out of its Metaplant in Ellabell, Georgia, near Savannah. That features making hydrogen on-site through electrolysis using electricity and water. Hyundai also sees hydrogen as a fuel for its energy-intense heavy-duty equipment business.
When powered by green hydrogen made out of renewable sources like solar and wind, an H2 ICE engine is practically carbon-neutral.
Bosch claims fuel cell orders from European, Chinese and U.S. truck makers. Outside the mobility- and transportation-themed West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, Nikola gave short demonstration rides in its fuel cell electric truck powered with Bosch’s fuel cell system.
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The German supplier can also be working on components for an ICE that converts hydrogen fuel directly into energy without first converting it into electricity because it does in a fuel cell. It plans to debut its H2 ICE this yr.
Getting governments on board
Enthusiasm for hydrogen engines might be traced to Europe’s acceptance of H2 ICE as a zero-emissions technology due to absence of carbon dioxide. Burning hydrogen creates small amounts of nitrogen oxides. European governments seem willing to look the opposite way. Within the U.S. — and particularly California — NOx emissions are a spotlight of coming regulations.
“The indication from EPA is that it’ll qualify as a zero-emission CO2 technology. California doesn’t allow H2 ICE currently under the ACT [Advanced Clean Trucks] rule. That’s something we’ve discussed with them,” said Carl Hergart, Paccar senior director of powertrain planning.
Cummins Inc. first promoted an H2 ICE engine as a part of a fuel-agnostic makeover of its engine families. It has committed a billion dollars in plant makeovers and has orders from fleets including Werner Enterprises for delivery in 2027.
Volvo Group, Daimler Truck and Paccar. — the one major truck maker with a major presence at CES — are all pursuing hydrogen-fueled engines by later this decade.
Paccar displayed its Kenworth T680 fuel cell truck with a second-generation Toyota fuel cell system that goes on sale next yr. Paccar has paid deposits from greater than 550 customers between Kenworth and Peterbilt. Fuel cell trucks for each brands will probably be assembled at Kenworth’s Renton, Washington, plant.
Q&A: Hergart on batteries, hydrogen and SuperTruck 2
Hergart talked about how the Bellevue, Washington, parent of Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF Trucks views hydrogen and a battery-making three way partnership with rival Daimler and supplier/competitor Cummins, in addition to what it’s learning from SuperTruck 2 projects at Peterbilt and Kenworth. The next is edited for clarity and conciseness.
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TRUCK TECH: Paccar is involved within the federal hydrogen hub project within the Northwest. But you stop in need of participating within the creation of hydrogen infrastructure.
HERGART: All our trucks are connected so we all know where the trucks are. We will provide data on where it is sensible to determine fueling stations. We’re not within the business of constructing fuel stations or producing hydrogen. But we might be lively on this dialogue with the producers, the purchasers and folks operating fuel stations.
TRUCK TECH: How essential is green hydrogen made out of renewable sources like solar, wind and water?
HERGART: From a sustainability perspective, in fact we wish to see green hydrogen. But there’s quite a lot of misconceptions about green and grey and blue hydrogen. Many of the hydrogen produced today, even gray hydrogen [from natural gas] is 99.999% pure. So whether it’s gray hydrogen produced from steam methane reforming or green hydrogen produced through electrolysis, for probably the most part each are suitable to run a fuel cell or a hydrogen ICE.
TRUCK TECH: Using hydrogen in an internal combustion engine eliminates greenhouse gasses but still creates NOx emissions. Is that an appropriate trade-off?
HERGART: When you’ve gotten nitrogen and oxygen reacting at high temperatures, you’re going to form NOx. But there are methods of addressing that. The [DAF Trucks HD] demonstrator in Europe shows that there’s potential to get all the way down to very low levels of NOx. We don’t want the right to be the enemy of the great here.
TRUCK TECH: How did you select lithium-iron phosphate chemistry on your battery-making three way partnership with Daimler Truck North America and Cummins?
HERGART: You will have a significantly better cycle life from an LFP cell chemistry than nickel, manganese and cobalt. NMC could have a bit of bit higher energy density. But you’ve gotten a worse cycle life, so durability is one aspect. Thermal stability is essential. And also you get away from the difficult materials like nickel and cobalt. In order that’s what really makes it the perfect fit for truck applications.
TRUCK TECH: The Peterbilt SuperTruck 2 achieved 132% freight ton efficiency. What technologies from which might be most probably to search out their way into production?
HERGART: The 48-volt mild-hybrid system is critical because you possibly can power auxiliaries electrically fairly than running them off of the front-wheel drive. You actually need to take a holistic view of the ability consumption on the truck. Ultimately the worth of 48-volt is that you just reduce the present. And whenever you reduce the present, you reduce the quantity of copper. So that you reduce cost and also you make it more efficient as well. The query is, do you introduce a 3rd [electronic] bus? It’s a matter of constructing the business case work, nevertheless it’s clear there’s an efficiency potential profit by adding 48-volt.
Xos Trucks and ElectraMeccanica get married
Speak about a wedding of convenience. Startup Los Angeles-based electric truck maker Xos and Canada’s ElectraMeccanica accomplished some quick nuptials that gives a $48.5 million money infusion to Xos while giving ElectraMeccanica shareholders about 20% ownership in Xos.
ElectraMeccanica gave up on its tiny three-wheel Solo electric vehicle last yr, recalling and buying back the vehicles from customers. In August, it announced a merger with U.K. electric truck maker Tevva. ElectraMeccanica got cold feet and claimed Tevva didn’t disclose all the pieces it should. Tevva responded by filing a suit looking for $75 million.
One beau gone, one other found
“Based on our diligence, which included discussions with key customers, we consider that Xos is well-positioned within the rapidly growing industrial electric vehicle market,” Dietmar Ostermann, ElectraMeccanica’s strategic committee chair, said in a news release.
“By leveraging ElectraMeccanica’s balance sheet to speed up Xos’ growth and leadership position, the proposed transaction provides ElectraMeccanica’s shareholders with the chance to take part in Xos’ exciting future prospects.”
Xos has delivered greater than 600 electric vehicles to fleets since 2020. It went public via a special purpose acquisition company merger with NextGen Acquisition Corp. in August 2021. Xos received $575 million in proceeds at a valuation of $2 billion.
In a market that also mostly avoids investing in unprofitable startups, ElectraMeccanica’s dowry is welcome. To avoid delisting from the Nasdaq, Xos conducted a 1:30 reverse stock split in December.
“Leveraging ElectraMeccanica’s assets will strengthen Xos’ leadership position within the robust industrial truck market and permit Xos to scale profitable vehicle sales,” Xos CEO and Chairman Dakota Semler said.
The merger is anticipated to shut in the primary half of the yr.
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Briefly noted …
TeraWatt Infrastructure will get $63.8 million in a federal grant to pursue its buildout of an electrical truck charging corridor across Interstate 10 within the Southwest.
The Energy Infrastructure Incentives for Zero-Emission Business Vehicles Project is distributing greater than $100 million in zero-emission vehicle charging infrastructure incentives to qualified applicants across California.
Melissa Wade of Aurora Innovation will chair the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association board of directors.
Bonus Content: Nikola’s Steve Girsky at CES
That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading. We value your feedback. Please write to aadler@freightwaves.com with suggestions and comments on Truck Tech.
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