Hydrogen-Powered Trucks Make Tracks
A new hydrogen-powered utility vehicle has set a Guinness World Record for distance without emitting any carbon dioxide (Department of Energy).
The news: The heavy-duty truck, funded in part by the DOE and built by Accelera—a clean energy technology company backed by manufacturer Cummins Inc.—recently completed a test run in California.
- During its journey, the truck was able to traverse more than 1,800 miles on just one tank of hydrogen fuel.
The record: The test run was closely observed and measured by an official from Guinness World Records, who determined that the hydrogen-powered vehicle’s 1,806-mile journey occurred on a single fill of hydrogen fuel—establishing a new world record and notching a significant achievement for hydrogen-based transportation efforts.
The numbers: “Powered by a Cummins Accelera fuel cell engine and a 250-kilowatt traction motor, the truck carried 175 kilograms of hydrogen and consumed 168 kilograms while navigating rush hour traffic, between 50 to 55 mph, on public roads, operating in temperatures varying from 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.”
The truck: The 33,000-pound vehicle is a prototype H2Rescue truck, which is intended for use during disaster relief efforts, and which also has military and utility applications—all situations in which the ability to run for long distances without refueling is vital.
The difference: A standard internal-combustion engine would have emitted 664 pounds of carbon dioxide during the same 1,800-mile journey.
- Using hydrogen in trucks like this one could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.5 metric tons every year, according to the DOE.
Our take: “The NAM applauds the innovation of this and other partnerships like it across all fuel types,” said NAM Director of Energy and Resources Policy Michael Davin. “Public-private cooperation will be a key means of maintaining U.S. energy leadership.”