The automaker used the occasion to position the highlight on its new H2 car
Honda has lengthy been invested in clear transportation, and as part of that technique, it not too long ago unveiled its hydrogen gasoline truck idea on the ACT Expo.
The corporate has been among the many automotive trade leaders in H2
The primary prototypes of H2 vehicles the corporate debuted had been again within the late Nineties, when it launched the third low-volume manufacturing mannequin gasoline cell car that was based mostly on its fashionable CR-V SUV.
That mentioned, it wasn’t till extraordinarily not too long ago that the automaker turned its consideration to hydrogen gasoline truck know-how. Now, it’s clear that Honda has been severe about its investigation into an H2 propulsion system for heavy obligation vans. On the ACT Expo, the corporate chose to debut its concept of a Peterbilt semi powered by gasoline cell modules co-developed by the automaker and Normal Motors.
Not the one participant within the hydrogen gasoline truck market
Although Honda is unquestionably aiming for a management place within the hydrogen gasoline truck market, it’s hardly alone. Toyota and Kenworth have had a collaboration going for years for growing semis powered by H2. Extra not too long ago, different automakers have additionally created their very own improvement packages for that sort of car, together with Daimler Truck, Hyundai, Traton, and Volvo Group. Nikola is already nicely established on this area.
There are many reasons that fuel cells have become a popular strategy among vehicle makers in recent years. Primary among them is the global effort to decarbonize long-haul freight operations. Though Tesla has drawn the spotlight to semis powered by battery electric propulsions systems, the general consensus is that those work best only on short- to medium-range routes. Batteries are heavy and their range is limited using current technologies. Furthermore, the charging time is notably longer than what diesel trucks require for refueling.
Fuel cells for long-haul
On the other hand, hydrogen fuel trucks have advantages in terms of range and refueling time, among other things. Their range is usually considered comparable to that of diesel-powered trucks, as is the amount of time needed to refuel, which is around 10 minutes or so for a range of 400 miles or more.
Honda Class 8 Hydrogen Gas Cell Truck Idea – Picture Supply: Honda
On top of that, the weight of the vehicles is also about the same as their diesel-powered counterparts. All these similarities help to make for a more seamless transition for fleets to decarbonize their operations.
Challenges to the use of long-haul hydrogen fuel truck fleets
There stay challenges that have to be overcome earlier than it is going to be potential for widespread transition to H2 for trucking fleets. For instance, the refueling infrastructure simply isn’t available at the moment. There are currently 56 public H2 stations in the United States, and they are all located in California.
Moreover, those stations have been struggling with downtimes due to issues such as supply chain barriers. For fleets to be confident enough to dump old reliable technology – polluting as it is – in favor of zero-emission transport, the infrastructure will need to be in place in a reliable way.
Many in the industry believe that installing stations along major highway transport routes will rapidly overcome that barrier, Moreover, many also state that fewer stations will be needed than what consumers frequently expect, provided they are strategically placed and reliably supplied with H2 so hydrogen fuel truck and other vehicle drivers can depend on them.
This is considered easier for long-haul routes than for passenger vehicles, simply because the routes that will be taken by hydrogen fuel truck fleets is notably more predictable. Trucking companies tend to need to use the same roads on a regular basis.
