Honda debuts hydrogen-powered Class 8 fuel cell Semi truck concept
Honda is debuting a hydrogen semi truck concept at this year’s Advanced Clean Transportation Expo, an annual expo focusing on clean medium and heavy duty vehicles, next week in Las Vegas.
Honda has been a little slow to electrify, falling behind as has been the case with a lot of Japanese automakers. But under the management of Toshihiro Mibe, who became CEO in April 2021, Honda has started to accelerate.
Along with its release of some new BEVs like the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX, both produced in partnership with GM, it has also come out with a unique fuel cell plug-in hybrid version of its CR-V.
And now it’s showing a full-on Class 8 semi truck concept, the heaviest vehicle on the road, powered by hydrogen.
Honda’s fuel cell truck is just a concept so far and quite light on details, but Honda wants to use it as part of a greater hydrogen strategy including commercial vehicles, consumer vehicles, stationary power stations and construction equipment.
Honda released a spec sheet for its concept, though as the vehicle isn’t in production, the numbers would change if it did go into production.
| Total length/width/height | 8,000 mm / 2,400 mm / 4,000mm |
| GCW | 37,273kg (Tractor Weight Target : 12,918kg, Load Weight Target : 24,355kg ) |
| Top Speed | 70 mph (Estimated) |
| Driving range | 400 miles at GCW (Estimated) |
| Fuel Cell System Output | 240kW combined (80kW x 3 FC systems) |
| Hydrogen Tank | High pressure 700bar Hydrogen Tank 82kg-H2 |
| Vehicle Battery | 120kWh High Voltage Battery |
Honda hasn’t given a date for when they plan to bring this to production, and partially says that the reason for that is that it is still looking for production partners to bring it to reality. Honda doesn’t build actual trucks, it’s just looking to supply the fuel cell systems to be used on a truck made by a large truck manufacturer.
Some other major manufacturers have announced hydrogen fuel cell trucks, like Kenworth’s partnership with Toyota to make a hydrogen T680, and Daimler’s GenH2 hydrogen truck.
Honda may be looking for a partnership like Toyota has, with another truck maker (Peterbilt, Mack, or the like).
So far, the main hydrogen truck penetration has come as a result of startups like Nikola, which is already delivering its Tre FCEV and opening its own hydrogen stations.
That said, these are still small efforts compared to the burgeoning battery-electric truck market.
Honda thinks that commercial vehicles like a fuel cell semi truck would help to create demand for hydrogen, and help create a hydrogen economy that would make hydrogen commercial and consumer vehicles more feasible. Right now, there are few hydrogen filling stations and commercial hydrogen is extremely expensive, and Honda hopes that having more vehicles on the road could help to stabilize both of those situations.
ACT Expo happens next week and is full of news for medium and heavy duty vehicles, and our correspondent Jo Borras will be there to bring you news & views from the conference.
Electrek’s Take
It is unlikely that fuel cells will take off in consumer vehicles. However, heavy duty vehicles are different, and may offer a niche that hydrogen can help with.
Batteries do have lower energy density than gasoline, but for consumer vehicles we have reached the point where EVs can be made economically with more than enough range for the vast majority of uses.
That’s not the case with heavy duty vehicles, which are currently quite capable of certain tasks but the cost and weight of batteries can be prohibitive for things like long-haul trucking.
In these cases, we might see a niche where fuel cell electric trucks can see use in the medium term.
But that’s just one issue – the other issues with hydrogen are in creating a hydrogen economy so that hydrogen is reasonably priced, which it currently is not (around ~$30/kg, which is a few times more expensive than diesel per mile at current prices, though this does look like a transitory spike and ~$15/kg is a more “normal” hydrogen price); and in ensuring that hydrogen comes from clean sources, because currently 95% of it comes from methane, which means hydrogen vehicles are still powered almost entirely by fossil fuels (albeit a slightly more clean version of them, but still dirtier than a BEV).
Honda seems to be showing some signs of commitment to solving these problems with hydrogen, as we found out on our first drive of the CR-V e:FCEV, but it seems like there’s a long way to go. Will hydrogen trucks get to that point before BEVs become economical for all uses? We’ll have to wait and see, but it’s going to take a lot of work.
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The US wind industry installed just 5.2 gigawatts (GW) in 2024 – the lowest level in a decade, according to Wood Mackenzie’s new US Wind Energy Monitor report. Installations are expected to rebound in 2025, but the real concern lies in US wind’s sharply downgraded 5-year outlook. As for the reason behind that bleak forecast, we’ll give you one guess as to why, and it starts with a T.
Wood Mac reports that 3.9 GW of onshore wind came online last year, along with 1.3 GW of onshore repowers and 101 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind.
Onshore wind
The US is expected to achieve more than 160 GW of installed onshore capacity by 2025, and onshore growth is projected to bounce back from 2024 and surpass 6.3 GW this year.
“The cliff in 2023 and 2024 created by the Production Tax Credit (PTC) push in 2022 will come to an end,” said Stephen Maldonado, research analyst at Wood Mackenzie. “Despite the uncertainty created by the new administration, the massive number of orders placed in 2023 culminating in projects now under construction support the short-term forecast.”
The pipeline for onshore has 10.8 GW currently under construction through 2027, with another 3.9 GW announced.
GE Vernova led onshore wind installations in 2024 with 56% of the market and will continue to lead in connections for the next five years. It was followed by Vestas (40%) and Siemens Gamesa (4%).
Offshore wind
Offshore wind is projected to increase in 2025 as well, with 900 MW of installed capacity, up from a disappointing 101 MW in 2024. However, several projects have been shelved in the wake of Trump’s anti-wind executive orders, which downgraded the five-year outlook by 1.8 GW.
Electrek’s Take on US wind’s 5-year outlook
According to Wood Mac, 33 GW of new onshore wind capacity will be installed through 2029, along with 6.6 GW of new offshore capacity and 5.5 GW of repowers. However, due to Trump’s anti-wind policy and economic uncertainty, this five-year outlook is 40% less than a previous total of 75.8 GW. Growth will happen, but it’s going to be slower.
The main reason is Trump’s flourish of his Sharpie on executive orders that include “temporary” withdrawal of offshore wind leasing areas and putting a stop to onshore wind on federal lands. Plus, firing all those federal employees will likely make permitting wind farms a slower process. (Trump just wrote more executive orders today allowing coal projects on federal lands; he won’t have federal employees to issue permits for those, either.) He’s worked to throw up obstacles for wind projects in favor of fossil fuels. He won’t stop the wind industry, but he’s managed to get some projects canceled, and he’ll make things more of a slog over the next few years.
Read more: Coal is dead and Trump’s executive order won’t revive it
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BYD’s cheapest EV in China just got even more affordable. After cutting prices this month, the BYD Seagull EV starts at just 56,800 yuan, or under $8,000.
BYD cuts Seagull EV price to under $8,000 in April
Despite an intensifying EV price war in China, BYD is cutting prices once again. The Chinese EV giant announced a new promotion this month across several Ocean Series models, including the Seagull.
The 2025 BYD Seagull EV is available starting at just 56,800 yuan ($7,800). The offer is for the non-Smart Driving Vitality Edition model, which usually starts at 69,800 yuan ($9,500).
After launching the new Seagull last year, BYD said the low-cost electric car officially opened “a new era of electricity being lower than oil.” Earlier this year, it upgraded most of its vehicles, including the Seagull, with its new “God’s Eye” smart driving system at no extra charge.
BYD’s Seagull is offered in three trims in China: Vitality, Freedom, and Flying. It has two battery options, 30.1 kWh or 38.9 kWh, which is good for the 305 km (190 mi) and 405 km (252 mi) CLTC range, respectively.
At just 3,780 mm long, 1,715 mm wide, and 1,540 mm tall, the Seagull is even smaller than the former Chevy Bolt EV (4,145 mm long, 1,765 mm wide, and 1,611 mm tall). It’s about the size of a Fiat 500e.
The price cut comes as BYD’s sales continue surging. With another 377,420 new energy vehicles (EVs and PHEVs) sold last month, the Chinese automaker has now sold over one million NEVs in 2025.
BYD’s EVs accounted for 416,388 while PHEV sales reached 569,710, an increase of 39% and 76% from last year, respectively.
| BYD Seagull EV trim | Starting Price | Range (CLTC) |
| Vitality | Normal: $9,500 (69,800 yuan) Now: $8,000 (56,800 yuan) |
190 mi (305 km) |
| Freedom | $10,300 (75,800 yuan) | 190 mi (305 km) |
| Flying | $11,700 (85,800 yuan) | 252 mi (405 km) |
Perhaps even more importantly, BYD sold over 206,000 vehicles overseas in 2025, more than doubling from last year. The Seagull EV is also sold in other global markets like Mexico and Brazil as the Dolphin Mini.
Later this year, it will launch in Europe as the Dolphin Surf, with expected prices starting under £20,000 ($26,000). Although it may not be the cheapest EV, BYD’s executive vice president, Stella Li, recently told Autocar it will be “the best value” when it arrives.
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