Innovation & Tech Today – May 2019

SUMMER 2019|INNOVATION & TECH TODAY 25

CONNECTED CAR

garage,thistimethetruckhasa proper
Kenworthbadge(anditsintroductionincluded
remarksbyKenworthengineersdiscussingtheir
roleinthisversion),andhasthefuelcellstacks
andstoragetanksintegratedintothenewtruck’s
design.Itstillrunssilentlyandiscapableof
haulinga standard80,000-poundloadoffreight.

Toyota,Kenworth,Shell,andthePortsofLos
AngelesandHuenemeinCaliforniaarenowpart
ofa just-launchedprojectthatwillcreatea
prototypeofa heavy-dutyhydrogenfuelcell
ecosystem.Completingthepictureis a refueling
infrastructurethatwillhelpputthetruckson
existingserviceroutes,performingtaskslike
ferryingimportedfruitfromtheporttoretail
outlets.Theycallit “Shore-to-Store,”withthe
sweetenerbeingthatit’sdonewithzerotailpipe
emissions.ThestateofCaliforniais dropping $41
millionintothemega-projectwiththe
expectationthatitsheavy-dutyfuelcelltrucks
willbeclosetobeingreadytogointoproduction.

Theprogram(partofCARB’sZANZEFF,
Zero And Near-Zero Emissions Freight

Facilities)willdeliver 10 KenworthT680Class

8 tractorsfeaturingToyota’sfuelcelltechnology.

Manyofthetruckswilltravelfromthetwo

portstoinlanddistributioncenterswheremuch

ofthefreightistransferredtomakeitswaytoa

finaldestinationviarailorlong-haultruck.

ProgrampartnersincludeUPS,Total

TransportationServicesInc.,SouthernCounties

Express,andToyotaLogisticsServices.In

addition,someofthetruckswillstretchtotheir

300-milerangeheadingfurtherinland to

MercedintheSanJoaquinValley.

Akeypartofthisprogramwillbetheaddition

oftwonewlargecapacityhydrogenrefueling

stations,oneinWilmingtonattheportanda

secondinthedistributionareaoutinOntario,

CA.Theyjointhreeexistingstationstoprovide

a rudimentarynetworkforthisnewtypeoffuel

andwillincludea portionofrenewable

hydrogen.Onemegawatt-sizestationatthe

ToyotaLogisticsServicesfacilityinthePortof

LongBeachusesagriculturalwasteto generate

water, electricity, and hydrogen.

Thisisthebiggestheavy-dutyfuelcell

initiativeeverseen,butToyotaandKenworth

arenottheonlycompaniesworkingonFCETs.

NikolaMotorCompany,a startupbasedin

Phoenix,unveileditsprototypeFCETin 2016

andhadanupdatedversionthisyear.The

companyhasannouncedtwothings:a multi-

billion-dollarfundraisingeffort,andthe

purchaseofalmost 400 acresofArizonadesert,

wherethecompanywillsiteit’sfactory.Itplans

tostartproductionthisyearandbedelivering

trucksin2021.Anotherstartup,U.S.Hybrid,

hasalsoproduceda prototypeFCET and

demonstratedit intheports

Thechallengeishuge.InthePortofLos

Angeles/PortofLongBeachterminals,a totalof

16,000truckscurrentlyrun.Thatnumberis

expectedtogrowto32,000by2030.Boththe

portsandthestate,nottomentionlocal

residents,wanttoseea switchtozeroemission

trucks.TheToyota-Kenworth FCET could be a

contender. ■