Toyota and Hyundai this week announced plans to expand their respective hydrogen fuel cell pickup projects in the US.
The Japanese automaker has partnered with truck maker PACCAR for years to test fuel-cell vehicles, but on Tuesday it announced an expansion of a joint effort to promote the vehicle. fuel cell trucks go into production.
“The expansion agreement supports the ongoing development and commercialization of zero-emissions versions of the Kenworth T680 and Peterbilt 579 models featuring Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell powertrain,” a press release said. Toyota said, “with initial deliveries to customers in 2024.”
Both the Kenworth and Peterbilt brands are part of the PACCAR truck family.
Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks with Toyota hydrogen fuel cell modules
Toyota-PACCAR project was built for many years initial efforts involving the Kenworth truck was put into service in California, primarily around the ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, to assess the potential for local emissions reductions and air quality improvements. Called Project Portalthis goes back to 2017.
“We are excited to partner with PACCAR to realize a future where Toyota’s industry-leading hydrogen fuel cell technology can power heavy-duty trucks on highways around the world. across the United States with zero emissions,” Christopher Yang, vice president of business development at Toyota Motor North America, said in a statement.
On the same day as Toyota’s announcement, Hyundai has launched the Xcient Fuel Cell version for the US market Hyundai in 2021 has announced plans to bring this Class 8 truck come to California for testing. According to a press release from Hyundai, the Xcient Fuel Cell launches in 2020 and has operated in Switzerland, Germany, Israel, South Korea and New Zealand, with a mileage of over 4 million miles to date.
Hyundai Xcient Fuel Cell at 2023 ACT Expo
Hyundai brought one of the trucks to the Advanced Clean Transportation Show (ACT) in Anaheim, California, a 6×4 tractor (six-wheel, four-wheel powered) with a pair of 90kw fuel cells and a 350 kW electric motor. engine. Xcient doesn’t just run on hydrogen; as a battery buffer, it contains a lot of battery capacity like a GMC Hummer EV. Hyundai estimates a range of more than 450 miles at full load and a combined gross weight (GCWR) of 82,000 pounds.
The release also addresses an aspiration to “drive future partnerships and businesses to deliver fleet operations solutions to hydrogen truck customers”, including a number of joint efforts. related to the planned EV “Metaplant” in Georgia, which is being built to produce up to 300,000 EVs annually, including models from Hyundai, Kia and Genesis. Hyundai didn’t reveal specifics, but there’s sure to be a lot of trucks coming in and out of such a large factory.
The notable absence from this week’s announcements, all in time for the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) program in Anaheim, California, is General Motors. In 2021, the US automaker announced a joint effort with truck manufacturer Navistar to build and support 2,000 selling hydrogen long distance, each with a range of more than 500 miles and 15 minutes of refueling. At the time, Navistar said the test vehicles would begin a test phase by the end of 2022, with production next in 2024.
