Toyota Shows Off The Latest Fuel Cell Electric Heavy Duty Truck

Toyota has unveiled the newest version of its zero-emission fuel-cell powered tractor truck in Los Angeles. It was developed with collaboration between the Kenworth Truck Company, the Port of Los Angeles, and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The Fuel Cell Electric heavy-duty Truck (FCET) runs on hydrogen and creates only water as waste. It is hoped that it will be able to meet or exceed the conventional diesel truck’s performance.

The FCET has been built using Toyota’s first two Project Portal Proof of Concept prototype trucks. These prototype trucks have been undergoing development since 2017. According to Toyota, the latest iteration will feature improved capabilities, performance, and packaging. The company estimates a range of 480 kilometers – twice the average truck’s daily work mileage.

Ten of the advanced FCETs will be built as part of the Zero-and-Near-Zero Emission Freight Facilities Project (ZANZEFF). The project is being funded in part by a $41 million award by CARB to the Port of Los Angeles. The fleet will be utilized for hauling goods that make their way to the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach to areas across the Los Angeles basin.

Similar to the Alpha and Beta prototypes, the FCET has also been derived from the Kenworth T680 Class 8 model. The engine has been swapped out for Toyota’s fuel cell technology. The first two trucks have been able to log over 22,500 kilometers in and around the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The aim is to create a Shore-to-Shore infrastructure of hydrogen for moving goods in the area thereby reducing the carbon dioxide emissions by 500 tons and 0.72 tons of other harmful emissions.

Toyota Logistics Services in collaboration with United Parcel Services, Total Transportation Services, and Southern Counties Express will be operating the new fleet. Two new large capacity heavy duty hydrogen fueling stations are being constructed by Shell in Wilmington and Ontario, California. With these two fueling stations, the total number of hydrogen fueling stations in the Los Angeles basin will be five.

Bob Carter, Executive Vice President for Automotive Operations Toyota, said, ‘Toyota is committed to fuel cell electric technology as a powertrain for the future because it’s a clean, scalable platform that can meet a broad range of mobility needs with zero emissions. The ZANZEFF collaboration and the innovative Shore-to-Store project allow us to move Heavy-Duty Truck Fuel Cell Electric technology towards commercialization.’