Captain Morgan gets a hydrogen Nikola in latest DHL deal

Global logistics giant DHL is serving Diageo North America – the makers of Captain Morgan rum – with a new deployment of hydrogen powered Nikola semi trucks and a standalone hydrogen fueling station.

DHL has established itself as a leader in zero-emission trucking with BEV terminal truck initiatives going all the way back to 2015, when the shipping company put its first Orange EV yard dog to work at Diageo’s Plainfield, Illinois, terminal. As such, you might be surprised to learn that DHL is opting for a hydrogen-powered Nikola instead of the pure electric version.

For their part, the Nikola/Diageo press release plays up the “EV” part of “FCEV” in an effort to convince readers that their hydrogen trucks are just as “green” as EVs – which longtime readers of Electrek, of course, realize is nonsense.

That said, DHL doesn’t want you to think in terms of hydrogen vs. battery here. Instead, the alternatives are diesel, CNG, or hydrogen. And, in this particular application – heavy haul, easily 350-400 mile routes throughout the Great Lakes region, and limited charging available for big trucks outside of California – the hydrogen trucks might offer a significant emissions reduction compared to diesel, and that’s what the DHL pilot hopes to discover.

“As a global logistics company with the goal of decarbonizing its business, we’ve integrated sustainability as a fourth strategic bottom line named ‘Green Logistics of Choice’ in our newly announced Strategy 2030,” explains Jim Monkmeyer, President of Transportation, DHL Supply Chain. “The deployment of these fuel cell electric vehicles is one of many initiatives that demonstrates how we are putting action behind our words.”

In addition to offering a 500+ mile range on a full (slow-fill) tank, the Nikola trucks offer significant improvements in driver comfort and ADAS effectiveness by reducing the noise and vibration found in diesel and CNG trucks, which reduces driver fatigue and enhances the ability of the cameras and sensors to clearly see the road ahead.

“We are extremely excited to be a part of this partnership delivering the first set of heavy-duty hydrogen trucks to Illinois, home to our largest manufacturing hub in North America,” said Marsha McIntosh, President of North America Supply at Diageo. “This initiative is part of our continued work to decarbonize our footprint in Plainfield, Illinois making our operations more efficient and sustainable.”

Electrek’s Take

When the CEO of a major heavy truck brand tells you hydrogen isn’t green and doesn’t save you any money, you know there are big incentive dollars at play – and that’s OK. The US government has subsidized fossil fuels to the tune of tens trillions of dollars over the last few decades (orders of magnitude more than EVs, in fact), so the relative pennies on the dollar they’re spending on hydrogen and BEVs seems like fair play.

Whether or not this particular hydrogen pilot program will make enough sense for DHL and Diageo to continue with the HFCEVs going forward, however, remains to be seen.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Diageo, via Nikola.