We’ve been talking a lot lately about electric vehicles, and for good reason. Many think they will be the future. And not just of passenger vehicle use; many expect them to also represent the future of big rigs. Just take a look at the news out there. It doesn’t take much to notice the massive amounts of news related to electric cars, buses, and trucks. It’s just about everywhere.
The times are changing! We now live in an era where legacy internal combustion OEMs have made specific plans to transition their entire product line to electric. Volvo, as one example, is hoping to offer 50% all-electric cars by 2025. In Norway, which is known as an oil-rich nation, EVs now represent the majority of vehicles sold. And don’t expect this paradigm to change any time soon.
Yet, when it comes to the trucking and transportation sector, will electric really rule the roost? Or are there other fuel and powertrain options that could wind up capturing more of the imaginations and market share? One such example of a nascent technology that could up-end entire industries is that of Hydrogen fuel cells. Sure, all the talk is around EVs, but could we see hydrogen fuel cell rigs make a bigger impact on our industry?
What is the Appeal?
You may read this and wonder if it is just hyperbole. After all, many individuals still have not made the change to personal electric vehicles. How can we expect the trucking industry to do so? Many are worried about common problems related to EV usage, from maximum range to charging time. What will you do when you hit the maximum range? Sit for 40 minutes at a rest stop while the vehicle charges? This is not an optimal solution.
There are problems with EV usage for fleets. Maximum charge, for example, assumes that the weather will be warm and favorable. Truckers would use limited air conditioning and be unable to connect accessories and other in-cab devices, especially in the cold. These represent major limitations. For trucking companies operating in the long-haul sector, this could be a deal breaker for investing in EV commercial motor vehicles.
There are plenty of scenarios out there where big rigs run out of power and leave their truck drivers stranded. There is a reason why electric commercial motor vehicle manufacturers are consistently pushing back launch dates for their trucks. Some are even getting caught up in litigation and criminal activity. If EV big rig technology was mature, surely, we would not be seeing companies have these problems.
The problem with electric CMVs lies in predictability. Fleet managers want to be able to reliably predict range, performance, and long-term viability of their fleet. Untested EVs create problems where this is concerned. Still, there are applications where EVs provide a lot more predictability.
Urban Applications Perfect for EVs
In the trucking field, there are still many applications where required range is a lot more predictable. Urban, last-mile, and close-regional freight hauling are just a few such examples. You could also look at utility companies, towing companies, and other related operations where predicable overnight shutdowns are perfect for EV usage.
The key here is charging. Companies where their vehicles sit for a prolonged period of time are perfect examples of EV-forward operations. You can also look at EV charging infrastructure and see where urban delivery fleets are perfect for EVs.
Many big urban areas are already investing in charging infrastructure. If the infrastructure bill currently under review by the Biden administration passes, we will see a lot of money thrown at rural and interstate charging infrastructure, but right now, it is very limited. Urban delivery vehicles simply have a lot more charging options than trucking companies running rigs and hauling freight over state lines.
You also need to consider power grid demand when you look at EVs. If we do transition to a fully electric future, will municipal power grids struggle to provide power at the same time for all these vehicles? The fact is billions of dollars will need to be invested in the power grid over the next decade to ensure it can adequately meet the demands put on it by commercial and passenger EVs.
So, what is a trucking company to do? Are there any alternate fuel or power options that take the guessing out of moving away from internal combustion? Some say the perfect alternative lies in hydrogen fuel cells.
Hydrogen Fuel Cells as an Acceptable Alternative
While hydrogen fuel cell technology may still seem like it exists in the realm of science fiction, OEMs and vendors have been working hard to bring it to make it a current reality. Why? Because hydrogen fuel cells simply do not come with a lot of the inherent baggage that EVs have. Still, there are some issues. There will need to be massive investment in hydrogen fueling infrastructure and filling up on hydrogen takes longer than filling your tank with diesel.
Still, hydrogen fuel cells will play an important role in enabling CO2-neutral transportation in the future. As the world moves away from carbon and greenhouse gases, alternative fuels like hydrogen will take center stage. And when combined with pure battery-electric vehicles, trucking companies will have more options than ever in their efforts to switch away from internal combustion.
Many OEMs are already getting in on the hydrogen game. Even one-time competitors are joining forces to help ensure a hydrogen-rich future. Volvo and Daimler, for instance, have teamed up to provide what they call an “industry-first” commitment to accelerate the use of hydrogen fuel cell fuel options for long-haul trucks. Their new combined venture is called Cellcentric, and both companies have committed substantial sums of money to ensure it succeeds.
According to a press release put out to announce the joint venture, the two companies are aiming to setup around 300 high-performance hydrogen fueling stations around Europe by the end of 2022. These fueling stations would be optimized specifically for use with fuel-cell big rigs. They are hoping that by 2025, they will have up to 1,000 stations strategically built around heavy-use freight lanes in continental Europe.
What These Efforts Mean for Trucking
Keep in mind that Volvo and Daimler are still competitors. As such, Cellcentric does not mean they will be combining forces to build trucks. Instead, they are focusing on teaming up on infrastructure to support trucks they already individually have in development. Vehicle-related development will occur independent of the partner company. When it comes to how they integrate fuel cells into their rigs, both companies will still rely on their own proprietary technology.
Still, this partnership is a huge step forward for hydrogen fuel cell adoption in the trucking and transportation sectors. Europe has far more strict environmental regulations, so if these companies succeed there, we see no reason why their efforts cannot be replicated in North America.
Yet, all the action is not happening in Europe. U.S. companies have also been hard at work developing fuel cell technologies for trucking OEMs. With Volvo and Daimler also testing there technologies on U.S. soil, who else is making inroads on hydrogen fuel cell adoption?
North American Companies In on the Game
One company making big bets in the hydrogen fuel cell space is Cummins. Cummins has, for example, prepped a demo fuel-cell truck running in California. They have also teamed up with telematics and ELD company Navistar to help develop data-driven technologies with hydrogen fuel cell applications. Cummins also bought a Canadian company that operated green hydrogen power systems. Using acquired technology, Cummins can produce up to 3,000 tons of hydrogen everywhere in their Quebec facility.
Other companies are also getting in on the game. From Kenworth to Toyota and Shell, it doesn’t matter what industry or niche they operate in, companies are making moves in the hydrogen space. Toyota, for example, has partnered with public agencies in California and the Port of Los Angeles to help them adopt hydrogen fuel cell fleets and develop the infrastructure to fuel them. Toyota’s own fuel cell-based Class 8 vehicles can travel up to 300 miles on a single hydrogen charge. Get ready to see these technologies mature even more as companies and governments plow money into them.
Most industry analysts consider trucking to be an ideal industry for hydrogen full cell technologies. High-utilization vehicles provide themselves as a perfect use case for hydrogen. A big vehicle that gets driven many hours a day is a hard thing to get off fossil fuels without hydrogen. So companies are putting an even greater focus on those heavy kind of payload-imperative type vehicles, where they’re paid to carry weight. As operators embrace hydrogen, expect to see it continue to edge out EVs in the heavy-duty use space.