A new zero-emission hydrogen-fueled truck has been developed by a team of engineers based out of Liverpool and it will hit the roads soon. The world’s first 100% hydrogen combustion truck is a joint product of a partnership between Innovative UK and hydrogen specialists ULEMCo.
Volvo’s FH16 truck, which is pretty popular, has been modified to demonstrate how powerful hydrogen fuel can be when comes to moving heavy cargo loads. According to the makers, this hydrogen-powered vehicle differs from the others as it is a Mega Low Emission truck (MLE). This means that the vehicles use hydrogen to power a combustion engine rather than fuel cells and a motor.
Engineers at ULEMCo pointed out that normal hydrogen cars still put out emissions that contain carbon monoxide. They say that the 100% hydrogen combustion truck does not emit these elements through its more conventional engine model. Using traditional engine and truck designs allows the engineers to bypass the transformation needed for electrification and the time frame to reach zero carbon emissions is reduced.
“We are hugely excited about the potential for hydrogen fuel as a route to faster achievement of zero carbon emission in commercial vehicles,” said Amanda Lyne, CEO of ULEMCo. “With this MLE demonstrator, co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, we are showing that 100% hydrogen fuel in combustion engines is a practical and cost-effective option. It sits well alongside the hydrogen dual-fuel conversions that we have already implemented commercially.”
ULEMCo has previously converted diesel engines to hydrogen-fueled engines. But, this is the first time they have created a 100% hydrogen combustion truck. It is all set to have at least 300 horsepower with 17 kg of hydrogen on board and a range of 300 km when unloaded.
The company currently wishes to work with large fleet owners looking to replace their current fleets. It would be preferred if they operate in urban areas. ULEMCo said in a press release that the initial retrofit plans might include garbage collection trucks and local deliveries.
This is a major breakthrough in hydrogen-powered vehicles but there is still a problem and that is the fuel of these vehicles. These vehicles will struggle to become mainstream and will continue to do so as long as the problem of fueling is not solved.