Truck maker Navistar International said on Wednesday it will work with U.S. automaker General Motors and other companies for developing a hydrogen fuel-cell-powered commercial truck and supporting a fueling network.
Navistar is one of several companies worldwide, including Tesla Inc, Nikola Corp, Daimler AG, and Hyundai Motor that are developing zero-carbon long-haul trucks. Moves by regulators to phase out internal combustion engines have energized a race to develop commercial automobiles powered by either batteries or hydrogen fuel cells.
Navistar said it prepares to offer its International RH Series fuel-cell truck – powered by GM fuel cells – in the model year 2024. The target driving range is more than 500 miles, with a hydrogen fueling time of fewer than 15 minutes. Financial terms were not revealed.
Hydrogen fuel company OneH2, in which Navistar will take an undisclosed minority stake, will provide a fueling solution and incorporate over 2,000 of the trucks into existing customer fleets. Together with that, J.B. Hunt Transport Services will be the first customer to make use of the truck.
“Hydrogen fuel cells offer great promise for heavy-duty trucks in applications requiring a higher density of energy, fast refueling, and additional range,” Navistar Chief Executive Persio Lisboa said.
Hydrogen backers say it is cleaner compared to other carbon-cutting technologies because water and heat are the only byproducts and it can be made from numerous sources, such as methane, coal, water, and even garbage. Fuel cell vehicles remain a niche technology, as there are not many fueling stations and possible customers also worry about resale values and the risk of hydrogen explosions.
For long-haul transport, proponents say hydrogen-powered trucks have an advantage over electric competitors as they have a greater range and need less time to charge. But they are expensive so their uptake and mass production has been slow.
Last November, Illinois-based Navistar and engine maker Cummins said they would collaborate together on a fuel-cell Class 8 truck. Navistar is also developing battery-electric trucks.
Also that month, Volkswagen AG’s truck unit Traton SE agreed to pay $3.7 billion for the outstanding shares of Navistar it doesn’t currently own. That deal is expected to close in mid-2021.
Wednesday’s deal comes less than two months after General Motors announced a non-binding agreement to supply fuel cells to startup Nikola. General Motors said that deal is not affected by the Navistar agreement.
Korea’s Hyundai in December said it was starting a brand dedicated to its hydrogen fuel-cell system, and last year delivered its first H2 Xcient fuel-cell trucks to consumers.
Japan’s Toyota has said a demonstration version of its heavy-duty fuel-cell truck, developed with subsidiary Hino Motor, would be ready in the first half of 2021.
Daimler last June established a separate fuel-cell business unit and previously talked about a team-up with Volvo Trucks to develop fuel-cell systems for heavy-duty vehicles.
Tesla is aiming to rival commercial customers with its electric Semi truck, which it expects to start selling this year.
