LONDON: A Scotland-based company has developed a heavy-duty hydrogen-electric truck that promises a longer range and load-carrying capacity, both essential to rival the performance of combustion engines in long-distance hauls.
The stylish tractor unit from Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS) will be built on an all-new chassis, designed in-house around the hydrogen power-train. It consists of pressurised hydrogen cylinders, fuel cells, an energy storage system and electrified rear axle.
The fuel cell permits longer range, higher load-carrying capacity, and faster refuelling than would be possible using battery-electric technology alone.
Typical refuelling time is comparable to diesel, around 20 minutes to replenish the hydrogen tanks. It is in the long-distance heavy goods vehicle (HGV) segment that hydrogen fuel cells offer the most advantages.
Hydrogen-powered vehicles don't need charging like a battery-powered Electric Vehicle. They are refuelled with hydrogen gas, stored at pressure in hydrogen cylinders.
The only emission from the vehicle is water vapour, meaning there are no harmful greenhouse gas emissions of any kind.
Other variants of the hydrogen-fuelled HGV tractor unit, including a left-hand drive variant, are also in the pipeline.
