Toyota Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Truck at CES2019

Trucks with fewer emissions than cars

The first drayage truck Toyota used to retrofit into a fuel-cell was a Kenworth T660. Toyota pimped the Kenworth Truck Company using two fuel-cell Mirai sedans to create the T660. A Drayage truck’s CO2 emissions are equal to 22 units of Passenger vehicle. Chris Rovik, engineer and executive program manager of Toyota Motor North America’s advanced fuel cell development and Portal Project, says there are about 15,000 trucks at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach in the Los Angeles Basin, in California.

The project was a success and at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Bob Carter, Executive Vice President – Sales Toyota Motor North America, announced that Toyota was “collaborating with PACCAR, the parent company of Kenworth, to develop fully-capable, zero-emission electric Class 8 trucks powered by two Mirai fuel cell stacks. The original Portal proof-of-concept truck has logged nearly 10,000 miles hauling freight from the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach to rail yards and warehouses across the L.A. Basin.

Thanks to the support of the Port of Los Angeles and the California Air Resources Board, we’re putting ten new trucks on the road to haul even more goods across the Los Angeles area, all with zero emissions.

This is not a science experiment – the goal is to make a difference in society – to improve air quality in and around the Port of Los Angeles. Imagine what we can do with the scalability of this project! It is an amazing truck, and I encourage all of you to see it for yourself in the PACCAR booth in the North Hall.

In addition, we are pioneering research in artificial intelligence, advanced materials, human support devices, and physical rehabilitation to develop robots that can assist the elderly, physically disabled, and those with injuries. And we’re investing in the potential of connected networks that can bring together mobility services with the people who need them.

Now don’t get me wrong, we will continue to make great cars, SUVs, and trucks for years to come, with the best dealers in the industry continuing to play a vital role. But many years from now, it’s possible the future of mobility may not involve moving people at all. It is possible mobility may mean smart and accessible solutions that bring services to society. And Toyota wants to play a leading role in creating this future while staying true to our commitment to provide a positive social impact.”

Chris Rovik, engineer and executive program manager of Toyota Motor North America’s advanced fuel cell development and Portal Project talks about the Kenworth T680 collaboration at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Toyota gave more detail in their press release, This collaboration is part of a $41 million Zero and Near-Zero Emissions Freight Facilities (ZANZEFF) grant preliminarily awarded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), with the Port of Los Angeles as the prime applicant. The grant monies are part of a larger $82 million program that will put fuel cell electric tractors, hydrogen fueling infrastructure, and zero emissions cargo handling equipment into operation in the ports and Los Angeles basin in 2020.

The Kenworth T680s will transport cargo across the Los Angeles basin and to inland cities – such as Ontario and San Bernardino – while generating zero emissions, other than water vapor, thanks to their fully electric hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain integrations co-developed by Kenworth and Toyota.

“This is an excellent opportunity for Kenworth and Toyota to work together to both explore and drive the development of advanced zero-emission technologies that will play a critical role in the commercial transportation of the future,” said Mike Dozier, Kenworth general manager, and PACCAR vice president.
“This is not just a science experiment; the goal is to make a difference in society. To remove pollution and improve the air quality in and around the Port of Los Angeles,” said Bob Carter, executive vice president, Toyota Motor North America.

The Kenworth T680s with the Toyota hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrains combine hydrogen gas and air to produce electricity. The electricity powers electric motors to move the trucks, while also charging the lithium-ion batteries to optimize performance as needed. Sophisticated power management systems will apportion the electrical power from the fuel cells to the motors, batteries, and other components, such as electrified power steering and brake air compressors. The hydrogen fuel cell electric powered Kenworth T680s will have a range of over 300 miles under normal drayage operating conditions.

The program will also fund foundational hydrogen fuel infrastructure, including two new fueling stations that, subject to a final investment decision by Equilon Enterprises LLC (dba Shell Oil Products U.S.), will be developed through Shell Oil Products U.S., to support the operation of the fuel cell electric trucks in Southern California.