Zero emissions can be achieved in heavy-duty transportation, as Cummins demonstrated by sending one of its hydrogen-powered trucks on a 1,806-mile adventure before needing to refuel. A truck making the same circuit around Oakland, California, with an internal combustion engine would have released 664 pounds of CO2.
Production tax credits and the creation of new regional hydrogen centers are the viability of hydrogen in the United States. Hydrogen has significant prospects in industries that are suffering from decarbonization or in regions where immediate electrification is not feasible (this includes long-haul aircraft, ships). and trucks. In fact, mobile hydrogen fuel generation is attracting the attention of heavy and medium trucks due to its long range, immediate refueling times and zero emissions.
“The Trump administration is coming to town, and I would tell them we don’t want to be behind smokey trucks,” says Amy Davis, president of Accelera by Cummins, in a Zoom chat. “We have technologies that deliver zero emissions. However, we must keep the incentives to help renewable energy, build more charging stations, and scale green hydrogen production. We must also encourage fleets to buy these trucks, which will be more expensive initially.”
The Cummins truck, which carried 175 kilograms of hydrogen onboard, was powered by a fuel cell engine with a 250-kilowatt traction motor. During rush hour traffic, it consumed 168 kilograms of hydrogen at 50 to 55 miles per hour. The vehicle weighed 33,000 pounds, made almost no noise, and did not emit black smoke or emissions.
Cummins-Accelera partnered with the U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate. The U. S. Department of Energy, the U. S. Department of Energy, and the U. S. Department of Energy The U. S. Department of Defense and the U. S. Department of Defense have been working on the U. S. Department of DefenseWe have been working with the U. S. to prepare a truck that will break world records. City buses, garbage trucks, and vending trucks can use the same mobile fuel technology. Currently, Accelera’s sold trucks and city buses operate in Shanghai, while the company partners with Scania to operate 20 heavy-duty trucks in Europe.
Fuel cells are an empty and very efficient way of generating electrical energy. Unlike batteries, which store electrical energy and can be used without another fuel source, fuel cells produce electrical energy by converting energy from a fuel source such as hydrogen.
In hydrogen fuel cells, electrical energy is generated through chemical reactions involving hydrogen and oxygen, generating heat and water vapor as byproducts. The objective is to use green hydrogen, produced from renewable energy, to produce electrical energy stored in batteries. When necessary, the batteries force an electric motor to move the vehicle forward.
“The fuel cell increases the range and can charge the battery, extending the miles it can run,” says Davis. “An electric battery can’t go coast to coast.”
According to Statista, in 2020 there were around 1,600 cars with fuel-powered mobile electric apps, a number that has been expanding in developing markets such as China and Europe. Precedence Research said the global hydrogen truck market was valued at $3. 7 billion in 2022, and is expected to reach $118 billion by 2032. Fuel mobiles stand out among the fuel mobiles used in industry and power plants for emergency electricity.
In addition to the production tax credits provided through the Inflation Reduction Act, the two-component infrastructure law provides up to $7 billion to identify between 6 and 10 regional hydrogen hubs in the country. The goal is to create a network of hydrogen manufacturers and commercial consumers with interconnected infrastructure to boost the use of pure hydrogen, part of the Biden administration’s plan to achieve net zero goals. net emissions until 2050.
Several hydrogen-powered trucks exist, and major manufacturers such as Hyundai, Toyota, Daimler, Volvo, and Nikola have developed or tested hydrogen fuel cell trucks. FedEx Express is running a hydrogen-fueled delivery truck in New York with a range of 240 kilometers. Meanwhile, Walmart and Target use hydrogen-powered forklifts.
However, long-haul hydrogen-fueled trucking still has a ways to go. Fleets have not embraced them because the costs are too high, and the infrastructure remains nascent. That can change, which is why companies like Cummins want to ensure that federal tax incentives remain in place.
Accelera’s Davis says the main impediment is the lack of gas stations. There are around 1,000 such charging ports around the world, and many more will be needed along busy roads for certain trucks to travel long distances. In addition, renewable energy must be used to separate hydrogen from oxygen in order for hydrogen to be considered sustainable. Right now, herbal fuel does most of the work and leaves a carbon footprint.
Fuel cells are also more expensive than diesel engines. However, this is expected to be replaced as production increases. California, for example, is investing in pilot hydrogen truck systems and is targeting 100 percent zero-emission trucks through 2045. Europe also plans to create large-scale, interconnected hydrogen infrastructure.
“The complications are many,” says Davis. We want to keep the pace of the products at a moderate level and keep emissions coming out of the tailpipe. If we want any of those things, we want hydrogen. The value will fall, getting closer to what it is today. There is still a lot to develop, but hydrogen trucks will take off after 2030.
No one likes to get stuck with a huge truck that spews dirty fumes. Welcome to Cummins and other brands partnering with the public sector to improve mobile fuel generation and force trucks to run on hydrogen. These zero-emission cars can be recharged in 15 minutes and travel wonderful distances – an adventure well worth it.
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