GM hydrogen unit to supply fuel cells for Autocar's heavy vehicles

Hydrotec Gesellschaft fuer Wassertechnik AG

07/12/2023 13:00

By Nick Carey
       Dec 7 (Reuters) - General Motors'  GM.N  and Autocar
Industries have agreed to jointly develop hydrogen-powered heavy
vehicles powered by the No.1 U.S. automaker's fuel cell unit
Hydrotec, the two companies said on Thursday.
    The first of the new zero-emission vehicles which are
traditionally powered by diesel engines - such as cement mixers,
dump trucks, refuse trucks, road maintenance vehicles and
terminal tractors - are expected to go into production in 2026
at Autocar's plant in Birmingham, Alabama.
    "We want to enable zero tailpipe emissions solutions for the
largest, highest energy consuming vehicles, and fuel cells are
ideal for the most energy intensive applications," Hydrotec
executive director Charlie Freese said in a statement.
    Hydrotec will provide "power cubes" consisting of more than
300 hydrogen fuel cells, along with "thermal and power
management systems and proprietary controls." The power cube
provides 77 kilowatts of power.
    Interest in hydrogen fuel cells to power trucks and vans has
grown as fleet operators seek a more practical alternative to
electric vehicles.  
    While most of the world's combustion engine cars and
short-distance vans and lorries should be replaced by battery
electric vehicles (BEVs) over the next two decades, fuel-cell
proponents and some long-haul fleet operators say batteries are
too heavy, take too long to charge and could overload power
grids.
    The same applies for heavy vehicles like cement mixers,
which would require enormous batteries to move any distance.
    "As regulations change, we see Hydrotec fuel cells as an
additional avenue for our customers to meet their EPA
(Environmental Protection Agency) requirements with zero
tailpipe emissions vehicles," Autocar president Eric Schwartz
said in a statement.
    Vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells, in which hydrogen mixes
with oxygen to produce water and energy to power a battery, can
refuel in minutes and have a much longer range than BEVs.

 (Reporting by Nick Carey
Editing by Mark Potter)
 ((nick.carey@thomsonreuters.com; +44 7385 414 954;))