By Breanna Sandridge, Senior Editor
A hydrogen fuel cell technology developer and supplier of zero-emission heavy-duty fuel cell EVs, Hyzon Motors Inc., successfully completed its first commercial run with the company’s liquid hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle.
The truck, operated by Performance Food Group (PFG), a North American food and food service distribution company, traveled over 540 miles from Temple, Texas to Dallas, Texas, where it completed deliveries to eight PFG customers. The trip lasted 16 continuous hours and included over 100-degree Fahrenheit temperatures.
“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.”
Due to its increased energy density, liquid hydrogen allows Hyzon to increase the amount of fuel on board when compared to gaseous hydrogen with no change to vehicle weight or payload.
To maintain this energy-dense liquid state, the hydrogen must remain at temperatures of negative 400 degrees Fahrenheit. To achieve this, Hyzon partnered with Chart Industries, a clean energy equipment manufacturer, to develop a tank system capable of storing liquid nitrogen at these temperatures and delivering it to the fuel cell system at the required pressure.
“This is a meaningful accomplishment for the hydrogen ecosystem, as long-haul and heavy duty transportation is a key end-use for liquid hydrogen,” stated Chart’s CEO and President Jill Evanko. “Our investment in our cryogenic liquid hydrogen onboard tank and our liquid hydrogen test facility support progress in the hydrogen industry, with the Hyzon and PFG road demonstration another key step in the evolution of hydrogen commercialization.”
