[VIDEO] Hyzon Motors successfully tests liquid hydrogen fuel cell truck in the U.S.
Compared to gaseous hydrogen, the current industry standard, liquid hydrogen allows Hyzon to increase the amount of fuel on board significantly thanks to increased energy density, with no changes to vehicle weight or payload. Hyzon partnered with Chart Industries to develop a tank system capable of storing liquid hydrogen at extremely cold temperatures and delivering it to the fuel cell system at the necessary pressure.
Zero emission truck manufacturer Hyzon Motors has successfully tested fuel cell electric trucks fueled with liquid hydrogen. Performance Food Group, one of the largest food and foodservice distribution companies in North America, and Chart Industries, a leading global manufacturer of highly engineered equipment servicing multiple applications in the clean energy and industrial gas market, joined Hyzon in this project.
Starting in Temple, TX, the truck completed deliveries to eight PFG customers near Dallas, TX, travelling over 540 miles on a 16-hour continuous run. The latter – further than the distance from Sacramento to San Diego – demonstrated the viability of on-board liquid hydrogen to fuel long-distance, zero-emission transport.
Hyzon Motors: the features of liquid hydrogen
Compared to gaseous hydrogen, the current industry standard, liquid hydrogen allows Hyzon to increase the amount of fuel on board significantly thanks to increased energy density, with no changes to vehicle weight or payload. To maintain the energy-dense liquid state, hydrogen requires cold temperatures of negative 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Hyzon partnered with Chart Industries to develop a tank system capable of storing liquid hydrogen at extremely cold temperatures and delivering it to the fuel cell system at the necessary pressure.
Furthermore, liquid hydrogen as a fuel source has been estimated to be up to $5 per kilogram less expensive all-in to dispense than high-pressure gaseous hydrogen, which would provide meaningful benefits to fleet owners.
“With increased range and no added weight in comparison to our gaseous hydrogen trucks, we believe this liquid hydrogen demo run has demonstrated potential viability for the future of liquid hydrogen in commercial trucking,” said Hyzon Chief Executive Officer Parker Meeks. “The results we captured in the strenuous demo through Central Texas’s diverse terrain and summer heat make us optimistic that, once commercialized, our liquid hydrogen vehicle powered by our proprietary 200kW fuel cell system should be able to provide long distance range between 650 and 800 miles, on par with many diesel truck range requirements.”
