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 Canadian home improvement chain picked up a pair of Volvo VNR Electric semi trucks, and it’s putting them to work on last-mile delivery routes in the Greater Toronto Area.
This month, the Canadian home improvement retailer Home Hardware began operating two Volvo electric semi trucks out of its St. Jacobs, Ontario truck depot. The pair of trucks will fulfill last-mile deliveries throughout the area, and mark the company’s first step towards transitioning its entire fleet to zero-emission vehicles.
The Volvo VNR trucks have an operating range of 442 km (about 275 miles). Their delivery routes will take them from Home-brand stores within a 100-150 km (about 90 miles) radius of the St. Jacobs distribution centre.
“We are proud to introduce our new battery-electric trucks to our privately-owned fleet,” said Kevin Macnab, president and chief executive officer, Home Hardware Stores Ltd. “Recognized by the Private Motor Truck Council as Safest Large Fleet, as well as Trucking HR Canada as a Top Fleet Employer and a Fleet of Distinction, Home Hardware Stores, Ltd. is committed to forward-thinking logistics that evolve our supply chain to best support our dealers so they can serve their communities.”
Home Hardware debuted their new Volvo VNR Electric trucks at the company’s 60th anniversary celebration and annual franchise event, the Home Hardware Homecoming, held last week in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Electrek’s Take
Home Hardware is the latest in a growing list of companies – and they’re already adding to the tally of tens of millions of all-electric, zero emission miles driven by Volvo customers. By the time Volvo rolls out its next-generation VNL and FH electric semis next year, it will be the company’s third generation of Class 8 EVs, and it will be backed by more than 100,000,000 miles of real-world data collected by thousands of trucks across dozens of companies.
Is that an insurmountable head start for companies like Tesla to make up? It’s hard to know (and my brain is broken, anyway), but I invite you to check out this episode of Quick Charge recorded a few weeks ago (below) talking about Volvo Truck’s lead, and then share your take on the state of the electric semi truck market in the comments.
Quick Charge
SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo Trucks.
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The newest edition to the CAA-Quebec roadside fleet is a fully electric Lion5 flatbed – and the CAA says it’s the first 100% electrique tow truck in service in North America!
Based on the Lion5 medium-duty truck and upfit with a flat bed body developed by XpaK Industries, CAA-Quebec (think AAA, but in Quebec) is marking an important milestone in its 80-history with the deployment of the first electric tow truck in Canada.
“Roadside assistance has always been in CAA-Quebec’s DNA, and it goes without saying that we are taking the lead in electric towing. We have a responsibility to set an example and take a leadership role in protecting the environment,” said Marie-Soleil Tremblay, president and CEO.
As far as the truck itself goes, the Lion5 chassis is packed with 210 kWh of in-house, 800V battery packs. Those are good for a range of up to 310 km (a touch over 190 miles) courtesy of an energy-efficient, high-torque electric motor putting 315 hp that Lion Electric claims can eliminate between 75 and 100 metric tons of greenhouse gas per year compared to a comparable diesel truck.
What’s more, the Lion5-based tow truck promises to reduce CAA-Quebec’s energy (read: fuel) costs by about 80%, and regular maintenance costs by about 60% compared to gas or diesel vehicles in the same class.
“With this new 100% electric, made-in-Quebec tow truck, we are helping to redefine the future of the towing industry,” said Patrick Gervais, VP Trucks and Public Affairs at Lion. “We are proud to be part of a cleaner and more sustainable future with players like CAA-Quebec and XpaK.”
The Lion5 tow truck was delivered in July, and will spend a year being put through its paces in a multitude of towing situations and extreme weather conditions. CAA-Quebec’s roadside assistance service will share its experience with partners throughout Canada and the AAA in the US.
Electrek’s Take
“Electrek’s Take” is where we put our industry experience to use interpreting the news we report. Here, in an article about a “first ever” new commercial segment being entered by a highly visible EV, I probably should be talking about operating costs, “dollars and sense,” and the importance of stabilized costs for a fleet manager’s projections.
Instead, I’m just going to picture some bro-dude’s lifted 4×4 Ram pickup getting hauled out of a parking spot he’s ICE’d and giggle a bit. You try it, too, and let me know if it made you smile in the comments section.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Lion Electric, via TowCanada.
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Best known in the US as the OEM behind Nikola, Italian truck brand IVECO entered the 2.5 to 3.5 ton medium duty commercial van segment at this week’s IAA Transportation conference with this: the eMoovy electric chassis cab.
Co-developed with Hyundai and riding on a modified platform of the Korean brand’s Staria ST1 van, the IVECO eMoovy is entering a red-hot commercial EV space with a 215 hp electric motor and either a 63 kWh or 76 kWh battery good for up to 199 miles of range.
The IVECO version leverages the Hyundai’s excellent 800V architecture. That means the eMoovy supports ultra-fast 350 kW charging and V2x functionality, so it can be used to back up a job site, supply power to workers, or even power a home (presumably).
A long time coming
We’ve known than a commercialized IVECO version of the Hyundai van (which isn’t sold as an EV, that I’m aware of) has been in the works for some time. In fact, Peter Johnson wrote about the 2022 deal way back in February.
In that article, Peter wrote that, while Hyundai would develop and build the chassis, IVECO would customize the electric vans to suit broader commercial markets and distribute the vehicles throughout its network. If that sounds familiar, that’s because (on the surface, at least) the deal seems pretty similar to the one IVECO has with Nikola … which begs the question: will Nikola get an eMoovy variant to sell in the US?
The new electric van will directly target Ford E-Transit customers in Europe, so there’s no reason to believe it won’t be an attractive alternative for commercial fleets on this side of the pond, as well – especially with the “big rig” street cred that could come with the Nikola association.
Electrek’s Take
The commercial EV market is driven by dollars and cents. If EVs have a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) than their gas or diesel counterparts? They’ll continue to sell, and their market share will continue to grow. The only question Hyundai and IVECO need to answer is whether North American truck buyers be more likely to buy a Hyundai-branded van, or a Nikola one.
We asked a similar question to Kia’s James Bell on Quick Charge a few weeks back. Listen to his response to those questions, below, then share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Kia’s James Bell on Electrek Quick Charge
SOURCE | IMAGES: IVECO, CarScoops.
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