Medium-Duty Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles Find Variety of Critical Uses
Connor Dolan
By Mark Luth
Medium-Duty Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles Find Variety of Critical Uses
Fuel cells serve a key role in decarbonizing the logistics and transportation industries, as highlighted in our previous “In Transition” blog posts. The benefits that make hydrogen fuel cells critical in the heavy-duty market, such as long driving range and quick refueling, extend to medium-duty applications and off-road vehicles as well. We’ve collected a selection of updates and deployments that focus on vehicles utilized for municipal services such as garbage collection, local deliveries, and other medium-duty sectors to highlight the incredible progress made in these areas in the past year.
Fuel Cells Power Refuse Trucks
In Sweden, FCHEA member PowerCell worked with its partners to develop a hydrogen-powered refuse truck. This truck was deployed in Gothenburg in June 2021, and the onboard fuel cells power both the vehicle and the compactor. Hydrogen fuel cell trucks have a comparable driving range, refuelling time and payload capacity to diesel-powered trucks while producing less noise and emitting only water vapor which are welcomed advantages for refuse trucks operating in residential areas with early morning collection times. The Swedish Energy Agency provided funding to support the development of the refuse truck.
The PowerCell-powered refuse truck in operation in Gothenburg. (Source: Renova)
Cummins, another FCHEA member, is also working with a European truck manufacturer, FAUN, to integrate fuel cells into existing refuse truck models. In addition to the advantages in noise and emissions, the fuel cell-powered models have the same weight as diesel models, keeping payloads and operating protocols identical for waste companies. The trucks were introduced in Germany in 2021 and the companies plan to deploy trucks in Norway later in the year.
The initial prototype fuel cell waste truck (Source: FAUN)
Making Local Deliveries Sustainably
In addition to refuse trucks, Cummins partnered with ASKO, Norway’s largest grocery wholesaler, to integrate fuel cells into four electric trucks that manage local grocery deliveries and logistics operations in Trondheim, Norway. The trucks have been operating since April 2020, working across an extensive delivery network around the city with a range between 400-500 kilometers on a single fueling.
The Electric Delivery Truck powered by Cummins’ fuel cells. (Source: Cummins)
PowerCell is working with fellow FCHEA member Bosch to develop fuel cells specialized for refrigeration trucks. Announced in July 2021, the companies aim to replace diesel-powered trailers with cleaner fuel cell modules. The fuel cell designed for this application is the same size as those used in telecommunications applications, showing the flexibility of the medium-duty fuel cell market and the ability to utilize advancements in one sector across varied applications.
Plug Power is another FCHEA member entering the medium-duty fuel cell trucking market. The company has established a partnership with auto maker Renault to develop three fuel cell vehicle models. Alongside a bus model, the companies are developing two van models for local cargo hauling, based on the Renault Master. The prototype of the first van model was unveiled at Plug Power’s annual symposium in October 2021 and provides 500 kilometers in range.
The HYVIA prototype unveiled at the Plug Symposium (Source: Plug Power)
Providing Power for Off-road and Remote Operations
FCHEA member Nuvera announced a partnership in July 2021 with DD Dannar LLC to integrate Nuvera’s fuel cells into Dannar’s existing mobile power platform vehicle. The fuel cells will extend the vehicle’s range and enable off-road and remote operations, providing power, efficiency, and reliability with zero emissions for numerous applications.
The Dannar Mobile Power System that will be integrated with fuel cell modules (Source: Nuvera)
FCHEA member Hexagon Purus is also active in off-road fuel cell vehicle development. The company partnered in December 2020 with Italian snow groomer manufacturer Prinoth to develop a hydrogen-powered model, the Leitwolf H2Motion. This vehicle will be used by ski resorts to prepare the slopes and reduce emissions from the existing diesel-powered models.
The prototype snow groomer powered by hydrogen fuel cells (Source: Hexagon Purus)
These updates show the exciting progress companies are making in utilizing hydrogen fuel cells to decarbonize medium-duty vehicles. Integrating fuel cells for these applications provides reliability, efficiency, and zero-emissions. The current deployments are proving that fuel cell models are prepared to replace air and noise polluting diesel vehicles, allowing for public and private fleets to continue using a fast, centralized fueling infrastructure while providing the reliable services customers depend on.