In its newest production-bound model of hydrogen fuel-cell semis, Toyota is including way more of one thing that may assist it go the gap persistently: batteries.
Hydrogen gasoline cell energy is commonly seen as a substitute for batteries, however right here the latter makes the previous higher. Toyota has opted to suit 200 kwh of lithium-ion NCA (nickel cobalt aluminum) battery cells within the particular hydrogen fuel-cell Kenworth T680 set to be showcased on the Superior Clear Transportation (ACT) Expo later this month.
It’s a components that will function a template for the long run for making hydrogen fuel-cell business automobiles viable, and as Toyota executives underscored this previous week, the batteries are a mandatory piece to create an efficient regional-use fuel-cell semi.
Kenworth-Toyota fuel-cell semi with 200-kwh battery pack
Such a giant battery pack isn’t wanted the overwhelming majority of the time, but it surely provides this format much more flexibility. This enormous Class 8 semi is an evolution of the hydrogen fuel-cell semis that Toyota and Kenworth have examined in prototype type for years with port responsibility and native runs, and with this variation the semi is now good for regional runs: as much as 82,000 kilos of payload and a goal 300 miles it doesn’t matter what the terrain—or as much as 450 miles on calmer terrain.
Batteries are at all times used as an power buffer with fuel-cell stacks, which take a while to ramp up and are finest producing a gentle energy output. Having a a lot bigger battery pack on board helps in the end increase the effectivity of this semi’s fuel-cell stack, Toyota stated, and the battery pack doubtlessly permits a large amount of power restoration on steeper downgrades.
In its newest model, this specifically fitted Kenworth T680 can comfortably get from Lengthy Seashore, California, over the notorious Interstate 5 Grapevine, at pace, with a full load, to Barstow and again—almost 270 miles—without having to ever fear about being refueled.
As much as 450 miles of vary on a hydrogen fill
The most recent prototype produces 415 hp of steady energy by way of a 310-kw dual-motor system, and it returns an official vary of as much as 450 miles from its 58.8 kg of hydrogen. It’s set to be powered by a modularized equipment constructed on the present Gen 2 stack that’s used within the Toyota Mirai. The module might be put collectively by Toyota in Kentucky and provided to a variety of firms—though the gasoline cells themselves will nonetheless come from Japan.
Kenworth-Toyota hydrogen fuel-cell semi prototype. – Might 2024
The brand new configuration primarily outcomes from Toyota listening to the truck’s potential business prospects, and addressing their direct wants, defined Scott Friedman, the senior program supervisor at Toyota North America tasked with the fuel-cell semi’s powertrain integration. Batteries and module apart, the format of the earlier port vans carries largely over to this new prototype.
The twin-motor system, the transmission, and general integration are Toyota obligations along with the fuel-cell module itself. The battery packs journey side-saddle, mounted considerably low on the cab fairly near the place the gasoline tanks could be, whereas the massive hydrogen tanks are so much lighter and mounted larger up, occupying what would in any other case be the sleeper.
Massive battery, no cost port
Toyota isn’t planning to cost this semi by way of any means aside from the fuel-cell stack, and there’s no cost port, in response to Friedman. So the battery pack quantities to a large buffer that, it appears, might and might be used neatly by fleet administration software program. “We don’t need our vans to should go to a battery cease and a hydrogen cease,” Friedman stated.
“We developed it based mostly on responsibility cycles and buyer expectations, and that’s sort of the scope,” summed Friedman. “You may simply adapt this,” he added, after a pause when pressed about whether or not a cost port may very well be added for a buyer who, for example, did need that functionality.
Kenworth-Toyota hydrogen fuel-cell semi prototype. – Might 2024
Toyota has doubtless mapped out the probabilities already. It has a heavy-duty testbed at its heart for hydrogen growth (H2HQ) in Gardena, together with a dyno rated to 1.2 megawatts of energy to bear in mind the sorts of purposes it might put together sooner or later.
In a tour of H2HQ final week, Toyota executives dropped loads of hints that it’s engaged on hydrogen fuel-cell pickups. It even has a working fuel-cell Tundra prototype in Japan that it makes use of to tow its hydrogen combustion-engine race automobile. And that’s along with a Hilux hydrogen fuel-cell prototype pickup within the U.Okay.
Toyota Hilux hydrogen fuel-cell prototype
Toyota introduced an unexpectedly easy purpose for bypassing chargers in passenger automobiles: Including a cost port disincentivizes the buildout of the hydrogen community.
Talking to Inexperienced Automotive Reviews in late 2019, Mirai chief engineer Yoshikazu Tanaka informed us that to develop the hydrogen infrastructure you wanted to eat it; if prospects began charging at residence then they wouldn’t eat (and depend upon) the hydrogen.
But it surely’s totally different for vans, argued Jay Sackett, the previous Toyota Tundra chief engineer now working instantly with gasoline cells as chief engineer for superior mobility. Simply as Toyota steps up the battery measurement for its fuel-cell semi however doesn’t add a cost port, Toyota doesn’t see loads of use for the cost port on a pickup.
Toyota Hilux hydrogen fuel-cell prototype
If Toyota makes a fuel-cell truck, Sackett urged to Inexperienced Automotive Reviews, it could be one oriented towards those that regularly tow or actually use the potential of the truck—and charging and towing merely don’t work collectively, he stated. And its Tundra prospects tow regularly.
In brief, Sackett summed, it’s a matter of time and consistency—and power density. You may get a 20-minute refuel of hydrogen, good for lots of of miles even when towing. However charging the sort of battery wanted for that sort of vary stays a severe hurdle right now.
Responding to a number of prompts about how this could be put to make use of in the true world, Sackett made no affirmation that plug-in functionality was one thing the corporate was significantly contemplating. But Sackett pointed to the semi challenge and its greater battery buffer as a template for what works in a predictable business or fleet scenario, the place fueling stations are established.
Maybe that might be round one of many hydrogen hubs which might be set to be federally funded with $8 billion.
Hydrogen fueling at Toyota H2HQ
Nonetheless the identical hydrogen fueling challenges
This additionally extra carefully aligns with different formulation used within the business—akin to that of the Nikola Tre, which packs 200 kw of fuel-cell energy modules with 164 kwh of battery power. Nikola this week introduced its second HYLA fueling station in California, close to the Port of Lengthy Seashore. It’s resulting from create 60 hydrogen stations by 2026, aided by incentives.
The port itself is the house of Toyota’s Tri-Gen facility, which takes Toyota’s greatest U.S. port off the grid, producing 2.3 megawatts of electrical energy each day from pure gasoline made renewable by way of credit by way of methane generated at Orange County Sanitation. It additionally generates as much as 1,200 kg of hydrogen per day—for use for fueling hydrogen automobiles—together with 1,400 gallons of water per day that can be utilized to scrub automobiles arriving at port.
Whereas the carbon portion of the calculation requires a litany of hypotheticals and what-ifs, what does or doesn’t come out of such fuel-cell options, as semis or pickups, is much extra easy. If it’s protecting options that don’t but virtually work with batteries alone, with an answer that’s rid of the smog-forming emissions and particulates of diesel exhaust, why not?
