Toyota Explores Heavy Truck Hydrogen Fuel Cell Application

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Toyota Motor Sales, U.S. A. Press Release  /  November 17, 2016

Toyota has long maintained that hydrogen fuel cell technology could be a zero emission solution across a broad spectrum of vehicle types.

The scalability of this technology is enabling the automaker to explore a semi-trailer truck application for a California-based feasibility study.
 
The Toyota Mirai will continue to provide a zero emission driving solution for global customers; a heavy-duty truck sized fuel cell vehicle creates a potential zero-emission freight transportation solution for the future.
 
Additional details on the study, and the continued evolution of a hydrogen society, will be announced in the coming months.  

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Toyota to test hydrogen cargo truck at Port of Los Angeles

Automotive News  /  April 19, 2017

Toyota plans to test a heavy truck powered by a hydrogen fuel-cell system at the Port of Los Angeles as part of a feasibility study beginning this summer.

Toyota made the announcement of “Project Portal” in Los Angeles with representatives of the port, the California Air Resources Board, and the California Energy Commission.

“The zero-emission truck proof of concept will take part in a feasibility study examining the potential of fuel cell technology in heavy-duty applications,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

A Toyota spokeswoman noted that the test subject is a Kenworth truck "with Toyota fuel cell guts."

Project Portal is a fully functioning heavy-duty truck with the power and torque to conduct port duties while emitting nothing but water vapor, much like the Mirai fuel-cell sedan that Toyota sells and leases in a swath of southern California where re-charging stations are available.

“CARB will be following the progress of this feasibility study with interest, as we look to develop the best mix of regulations and incentives to rapidly expand the market for the cleanest, most efficient big trucks to meet the need for dramatic change in the freight sector,” said Mary Nichols, chair of the air resources board.

Bob Carter, executive vice president of Toyota Motor North America, said the project is an extension of the brand’s production of one of the first mass-market fuel-cell vehicles, the introduction of fuel cells in buses in Japan, and the exploration of the benefits of a zero-emission heavy-truck platform.

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Toyota Rolls Out Hydrogen Semi Ahead Of Tesla's Electric Truck

Forbes  /  April 19, 2017

A battle for the future of clean trucks is breaking out. A week after Elon Musk said an electric Tesla semi is coming, Toyota sped ahead of him in its own exhaust-free truck: a hydrogen-powered 18-wheeler created to haul cargo at the Port of Los Angeles.

The carmaker’s truck, dubbed “Project Portal," fulfills a promise Toyota made in November to scale up the fuel cell system used in its Mirai sedan for a semi as part of a feasibility study. The Class 8 truck Toyota created using a Kenworth chassis, generates more than 670 horsepower from electricity generated by two Mirai fuel cell stacks -- enough to pull a total of 80,000 pounds. The truck also uses a bigger motor and battery than that in its midsize sedan, and should average 200 miles per fueling of compressed hydrogen gas.

“The power is large enough and the drivability and performance, everything, has to meet the current diesel truck requirement,” Toyota Senior Executive Engineer Takehito Yokoo told Forbes. “Because we are using a hydrogen fuel cell and motor, this is an EV, but not a battery-powered EV. The exhaust emission is zero, only water vapor coming out.”

Daily operation of the truck at the port, hauling cargo offloaded from ships to rail distribution centers, will run for an indeterminate period. For now, this is only a test of the technology and Toyota hasn’t committed to turning the truck power system into a commercial program, Yokoo said.

Running the study at one of the country’s busiest cargo terminals is intentional owing to persistent air pollution generated there by a heavy concentration of diesel trucks. California has pushed automakers for years to sell more types of low- and no-exhaust vehicles – including Prius hybrids, Mirai fuel cell cars and Tesla's battery-powered models  – and wants similar options for heavy commercial vehicles.

“By bringing this heavy duty, zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell proof of concept truck to the Port, Toyota has planted a flag that we hope many others will follow,” Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board, or CARB, said in a statement. “CARB will be following the progress of this feasibility study with interest as we look to develop the best mix of regulations and incentives to rapidly expand the market for the cleanest, most efficient big trucks to meet the need for dramatic change in the freight sector.”

Advocates of hydrogen see it as an abundant, clean alternative to petroleum that provides similar driving range and refueling time, versus hours for batteries. Tesla’s Musk is among its biggest critics, citing lower energy efficiency relative to batteries and storage challenges. He’s dubbed the technology “fool cells.”

Musk said Tesla would show its semi in September, but provided no details about the project, in terms of performance, price, range or when such a vehicle might go into production.

While batteries are storage devices for electricity, fuel cells make it in a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen that produces only water as a byproduct. For years, fuel cells themselves, because they used precious metals and exotic high-tech plastics, were both very costly and less durable than conventional gasoline engines.

But two decades of dogged development efforts by Toyota, Honda, General Motors and Hyundai are showing progress.

Toyota’s Mirai sedan, about the size of a Camry, sells in California for about $57,000, and Honda’s competing Clarity model is available to consumers in the state for lease only, at $369 a month. Both go more than 300 miles per fueling. Hyundai also leases a fuel cell version of its Tucson SUV in California and this month said it would have a new hydrogen SUV arriving in 2018 with at least 500 miles of range.

General Motors has created a hydrogen fuel cell version of its Colorado pickup truck that’s being evaluated by the U.S. Army, and it has partnership to produce fuel cells with Honda at a Michigan factory.

Hino, Toyota’s commercial vehicle unit, has hydrogen buses operating in Japan, while another subsidiary makes fuel cell forklifts.

Over the past year, Toyota engineers spent a great deal of time with trucking companies at the Southern California port to learn the daily requirements of the vehicles they use, according to Craig Scott, national manager for Toyota’s U.S. advanced technology group.

“They had done a lot of pilot programs with CNG and electric vehicles and they all had the same complaints: ‘It’s not really feasible. We can’t replace our diesel trucks with these because we can’t refuel quickly or the performance of the truck isn’t good enough,’” Scott told Forbes. “We thought great, the fuel cell handles both of those.”

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Toyota North America unveils hydrogen-fuel-cell heavy-duty truck proof-of-concept; twin Mirai fuel cell stacks

Green Car Congress  /  April 19, 2017

Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (TMNA) revealed “Project Portal”—a hydrogen fuel cell system designed for heavy-duty trucks applied in a Class 8 truck for use at the Port of Los Angeles (POLA).

Announced at a press conference with Port officials and representatives from California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC), the zero-emission truck proof-of-concept will take part in a feasibility study examining the potential of fuel cell technology in heavy duty applications. The study will begin this summer and contribute to the Port’s Clean Air Action Plan, which has significantly reduced harmful emissions from operations at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles since 2005.

As they did with the Prius and the Mirai, Toyota is taking a leap into the future of technology. By bringing this heavy-duty, zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell proof-of-concept truck to the Port, Toyota has planted a flag that we hope many others will follow. CARB will be following the progress of this feasibility study with interest, as we look to develop the best mix of regulations and incentives to rapidly expand the market for the cleanest, most efficient big trucks to meet the need for dramatic change in the freight sector.

—Mary D. Nichols, Chair, California Air Resources Board (CARB)

Project Portal is the next step in Toyota’s effort to broaden the application of zero-emission fuel cell technology that can serve a range of industries. It is a fully functioning heavy-duty truck with the power and torque capacity to conduct port drayage operations while emitting nothing but water vapor. Heavy-duty vehicles make up a significant percentage of the annual emissions output at the Port of Los Angeles, and the Portal feasibility study may provide another path to further reduce emissions.

The Project Portal platform is designed to provide the target performance required to support port drayage operations. The truck generates more than 670 hp and 1325 lb-ft (1796 N·m) of torque from two Mirai fuel cell stacks and a 12 kWh battery—a relatively small battery to support Class-8 load operations. As shown in the video below, the fuel-cell truck delivers excellent acceleration performance, compared to a conventional diesel.

The concept’s gross combined weight capacity is 80,000 lbs., and its estimated driving range is more than 200 miles per fill, under normal drayage operation.

Project Portal is just one part of Toyota’s ongoing commitment to fuel cell technology. It follows on the company’s continued work to expand California’s hydrogen refueling infrastructure, including the recently announced partnership with Shell to increase the number of hydrogen refueling stations in the state. (Earlier post.)

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles play a role in California’s efforts to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, improve air quality, and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. That’s why the California Energy Commission is investing in the refueling infrastructure needed to support adoption of these vehicles. The Commission applauds Toyota for putting this cutting edge technology to use a heavy-duty freight proof of concept. This demo will show how fuel cells can help support the heavy-duty sector’s efforts to increase efficiency, transition to zero-emission technologies, and increase competitiveness.

—Janea A. Scott, Commissioner, California Energy Commission

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Toyota to Road-Test Class 8 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  April 19, 2017

After teasing the concept late last year, Toyota Motor North America has announced plans to operate a Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell truck in real-world use in Southern California this summer, dubbing the effort "Project Portal."

The truck proof of concept will seek to determine the feasibility of fuel cell technology for heavy-duty trucks, specifically in drayage operations. The study is part of the Port of Los Angeles’s Clean Air Action Plan, which is aimed at reducing emissions in and around the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

“By bringing this heavy-duty, zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell proof-of-concept truck to the Port, Toyota has planted a flag that we hope many others will follow,” said Mary D. Nichols, chair, California Air Resources Board. “CARB will be following the progress of this feasibility study with interest, as we look to develop the best mix of regulations and incentives to rapidly expand the market for the cleanest, most efficient big trucks to meet the need for dramatic change in the freight sector.”

Project Portal is a fully functioning, heavy-duty truck with the power and torque capacity to conduct port drayage operations while producing only water vapor as emissions.

The truck will generate more than 670 horsepower and 1,325 lb.-ft. of torque from two Mirai fuel cell stacks and a 12-kilowatt-hour battery. The concept vehicle will have a gross combined weight capacity of 80,000 pounds and an estimated range of more than 200 miles per fill in normal drayage operation.

“Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles play a role in California’s efforts to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, improve air quality, and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels,” said Janea A.Scott, commissioner, California Energy Commission. “The Commission applauds Toyota for putting this cutting edge technology to use in a heavy-duty freight proof of concept. This demo will show how fuel cells can help support the heavy-duty sector’s efforts to increase efficiency, transition to zero-emission technologies, and increase competitiveness.”

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Toyota unveils fuel-cell Class 8 tractor prototype

Fleet Owner  /  April 19, 2017

Dubbed “Project Portal” its runs on electricity generated by a hydrogen-powered fuel cell.

Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) officially took the wraps off its “Project Portal” prototype Class 8 tractor this week – a hydrogen fuel cell system designed for heavy duty trucks operating at the Port of Los Angeles.

The OEM said this “proof of concept” zero-emission truck is fully functioning, with the power and torque capacity to conduct port drayage operations while emitting nothing but water vapor. It will be part of a feasibility study that begins this summer which will examine the potential of fuel cell technology in heavy duty applications

“By bringing this heavy duty, zero emission hydrogen fuel cell proof of concept truck to the Port, Toyota has planted a flag that we hope many others will follow,” said Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), in a statement.

“CARB will be following the progress of this feasibility study with interest, as we look to develop the best mix of regulations and incentives to rapidly expand the market for the cleanest, most efficient big trucks to meet the need for dramatic change in the freight sector,” she added.

“Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles play a role in California’s efforts to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, improve air quality, and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels,” added Janea Scott with the California Energy Commission (CEC), which is why the CEC making invests in the refueling infrastructure needed to support adoption of these vehicles, Scott noted.

The Project Portal tractor generates more than 670 hp and 1,325 lb.-ft. of torque from two Mirai fuel cell stacks and a 12 kilowatt-per-hour (kWh) battery – a relatively small battery to support Class 8-type loads, Toyota noted.

The concept’s gross combined weight capacity is 80,000 lbs., and its estimated driving range is more than 200 miles per fill, under normal drayage operation, noted Bob Carter, executive vice president with TMNA. 

“Toyota believes that hydrogen fuel cell technology has tremendous potential to become the powertrain of the future,” he said. “With Project Portal, we’re proud to help explore the societal benefits of a true zero emission heavy-duty truck platform.”

Informational photo gallery - http://fleetowner.com/running-green/breaking-down-project-portal#slide-0-field_images-216521

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Toyota's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Kenworth Can Revolutionize Heavy Transport

Forbes  /  August 9, 2017

“We took two Mirai vehicles, tore them apart and integrated components into the Kenworth. This was a fast development program. The tanks are larger. Battery is larger. Motors are completely different from Mirai. But the two fuel-cell stacks are Mirai production units. The main purpose is to prove scalability of the Mirai system with little change to the rest of the truck. Our system can pull an 80,000-lb. combined load up a hill,” says Chris Rovik, engineering manager of Toyota Motor North America’s “Portal Project,” an effort to develop a fleet of zero-emission semi tractor-trailers to haul freight from the world’s two busiest container ports, Long Beach and Los Angeles, to a railhead well beyond the densely populated Southern California coastline. The I-710 freeway corridor in and out of these twin ports is nicknamed “cancer alley” because diesel emissions have blanketed the area for decades. The ports are not allowed to expand because of their current high levels of pollution.

Rovik and Giorgio Zoia, who works in Toyota’s fuel-cell development program, are my hosts for a crawl-around and drive session of their fuel cell Kenworth T680 “Glider” at Toyota’s Arizona proving grounds. Two electric motors mounted under the cabin generate 1325 lb-ft of torque and the electric equivalent of 670 horsepower, comparable to the conventional 10.8-liter diesel that would normally sit in the Kenworth’s nose. For our run around the proving grounds, there’s no trailer with 45,000 pounds of cargo—we’re in street racing trim. Pedal down, the big blue Kenworth hits 60 mph in about seven seconds, producing no emissions beyond a stream of water. Working our way back to the garage through a series of control gates, I wonder if Toyota might consider entering a fuel-cell prototype racecar at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the “Garage 56” experimental class. That might generate much more press than winning the race.

“We are trying to keep the battery as small as possible. We want to demonstrate scalability of the fuel cell itself,” says Rovik. “The motors are in series, attached to each other. The back of the vehicle is exactly like a Kenworth PACCAR [diesel-powered] vehicle. People with commercial truck experience are impressed with how quick it is, especially under heavy load,” Rovik says.

“These are semi-custom tanks bought from a supplier. It is a translation of the tanks for CNG. Each is almost double the size of a Mirai tank,” Zoia says of the two tanks mounted in the space that would comprise a sleeper cabin in a conventional Kenworth. Hydrogen is delivered to the tanks with the same milled aerospace-quality nozzles I used during a two-week Mirai test drive. Refueling takes 30 minutes because a hydrogen chilling system was deemed an unnecessary expense. “If you have a chiller in the station, you can shorten the fueling time,” says Zoia. Considering Toyota’s commitment to this technology, it’s feasible that within the 2 or 3 years a fuel cell powerplant might be built to generate hydrogen through electrolysis, and power all proving ground operations.

“Fuel cells are already very efficient. Fuel cells are getting cheaper. They were expensive because of the platinum and to get hydrogen to go through the membrane. Now quantity of expensive materials is getting lower,” says Zoia.

Joan Ogden, Professor of Environmental Science and Policy and Director of the Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathway Program at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, says, “We talked to people in the platinum business, and it turns out that almost all of them foresee going from 50 percent recycling to essentially 100 percent in the future. Platinum is going to be in demand for a lot of things. Not only for fuel cells, but for other kinds of clean processes. You won’t be mining so much virgin platinum as reprocessing it.” Conventional catalytic converters in gasoline-powered road cars use perhaps 2 to 4 grams of platinum. Currently, fuel-cell vehicles use about twice that, so the amounts of platinum are not radically greater.

“Hydrogen is an energy carrier. How you make hydrogen is the environmental impact,” says Zoia, who chooses the least attractive source of hydrogen to illustrate. “If you make hydrogen from coal, it produces a lot of CO2. You can do it in a centralized facility, capture the CO2 and sequester it. It takes away completely the issue of distributed pollution from smaller sources.” No matter if the source of hydrogen is coal or natural gas, carbon emissions can be sequestered at the energy plant, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles themselves produce no emissions.

“If you make hydrogen with electrolysis from wind power, there is zero effect on the environment. The main production source now is natural gas, a relatively clean way of making hydrogen. You have one carbon with four hydrogens in a long chain.

“The final goal if you want to be CO2 emission-free is to produce hydrogen from sources that do not produce CO2,” says Zoia. “It could be from renewable natural gas, from landfills. It could be electricity from solar, from hydro, and frankly, it could be from nuclear power. These are completely CO2-free ways of making electricity. You split water in electrolysis. Right now, the process has room for improvement in its efficiency so it is relatively more expensive than producing hydrogen from natural gas.

“Say you create electricity from solar or wind, but how do you store it? Hydrogen is the perfect way to store energy,” says Zoia, “because it can be reversed into electricity very efficiently through fuel cells, or it can be transported through a pipeline.” California solar farms have produced so much electricity during daylight hours that in 2017 utility companies in neighboring states have been paid to accept electricity to avoid overloading the California grid. If excess solar power is instead used to power electrolysis and the resulting hydrogen is piped to Los Angeles to power vehicles, a hydrogen-based industrial infrastructure begins to emerge.

FuelCell Energy of Danbury, Connecticut, markets fuel-cell powerplants that can generate from 1.4MW to 3.7MW, using natural gas or biogas. For measureables, 1MW can power about 1000 homes. FuelCell Energy’s main clients are hospitals, universities, and wastewater treatment plants. They are currently developing a multi-unit powerplant in the heart of Long Island. “Our core commercial line of fuel-cell powerplants runs on natural gas or methane-based biogas,” says Tony Leo, VP of Application Engineering and New Technology Development at FuelCell Energy. “They cannot run on pure hydrogen. We are introducing a version that produces hydrogen. The fuel cells convert natural gas to hydrogen inside the fuel cell and make electricity from that, but they can also produce extra hydrogen.

“We are developing, though it is not yet commercial, a solid-oxide fuel cell that can run on pure hydrogen,” says Leo. “We are looking at using it for electrolysis as well as pure hydrogen consumption. This is a very efficient platform for electrolysis. You can take intermittent renewable power [solar and wind] and send it into a solid-oxide cell and turn water into hydrogen and oxygen. And then store that hydrogen for reconversion into power later, sending it to the same stack. Or you can dispense it to fuel-cell vehicles. We are in the process of testing our first 200KW prototype solid-oxide fuel cell, a prototype of what will be a commercial platform, extending into electrolysis and storage. We have internal support, but also funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. It’s about two or three years till commercialization.”

“We are also developing a modification of the system that will allow the fuel cells to support CO2 capture,” says Leo. “You can take exhaust from a coal or natural gas powerplant, send it into our fuel cell and it will separate the CO2 so that it can either be used or sequestered. That is our carbon capture application.” Fuel-cell powerplants are quiet and emit no objectionable emissions that might raise not-in-my-backyard objections. FuelCell Energy’s stacks last about five years, but the rest has a much longer lifespan. Because they are clean, they can place power generation right where it is needed, not miles away feeding an inefficient grid.

“Hydrogen pipelines are not more expensive than natural gas pipelines,” says Zoia. “There is one under the 405 freeway in Los Angeles. There are few pipelines because hydrogen is not used widely, only in refineries.” Hydrogen generated through fuel cell electrolysis can be stored at a powerplant and reused to generate electricity at night, or on rainy days.

Regarding concerns about the nature of hydrogen, Zoia is succinct: “How long would it take our truck’s hydrogen tanks to empty if we left them? One kilogram of hydrogen has about the same energy as one gallon of gasoline. These tanks in the truck have about 40 kilos of hydrogen. It would take 1500 years for the hydrogen in our tanks to permeate into the atmosphere. The tanks have been shot in test facilities with a .50-caliber bullet and nothing happens. The only way to have a leak from those tanks is at the valve. Worst case if the valve completely failed, it would take just a few minutes for the hydrogen to completely disperse.” It’s important to note that the Department of Energy is researching means of storing hydrogen in caverns in quantities large enough to fuel a powerplant for five or six days.

“Hydrogen has safety issues different from gasoline, but when used properly it is as safe as other fuels. Hydrogen has a pretty wide flammability region, but it disperses quickly. It is lighter than air. You design infrastructure to adapt to that,” says Zoia. In short, architecture of parking structures, home garages, tunnels, and other closed storage for vehicles needs to be vented, though the steps needed are not far beyond those for gasoline-powered cars.

Having been in Toyota’s fuel cell Kenworth, I’ve reached a variation on the same conclusion for the Mirai fuel-cell passenger car: it’s a truck. There’s no Buck Rogers to it, no George Jetson, no Star Wars. It simply works, and works quite well, a fuel-cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV) powered with hydrogen. Again, the only element standing in its way is production and distribution infrastructure for hydrogen, which can potentially be addressed in a few years, at least here in my native Los Angeles. Combined with Toyota’s recently announced breakthroughs in solid-state batteries that can potentially transform the electric vehicle market, fuel cell work vehicles offer a completely new approach to heavy transport in an industrialized society.

The drive system Rovik and Zoia have put together can just as easily power John Deere harvesting combines in the wheat fields of South Dakota, buses in Los Angeles, heavy cranes for unloading ships in ports, and UPS trucks. At the other end of the scale, fuel cells can power forklifts at a port. Though it has only been mentioned once or twice in public, Toyota has a fuel-cell system scaled to power a Tundra work pickup, proving that most if not all vehicles and equipment at a port can be powered by hydrogen, which becomes especially easy if fuel cell powerplants capable of electrolysis are sited at or near the port. This topic is far removed from the high-performance and luxury cars I normally cover, but I am hoping Toyota invites me on a delivery run in this Kenworth out of the port to the railhead.

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Toyota fuel-cell Class 8 prototype to start drayage routes at Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach

Green Car Congress  /  October 12, 2017

Unveiled earlier this year (earlier post), Toyota Motor North America’s (TMNA) “Project Portal” fuel-cell-powered Class 8 truck proof-of-concept has completed more than 4,000 successful development miles, while progressively pulling drayage rated cargo weight, and emitting nothing but water vapor.

With testing and development miles completed, Project Portal will begin initial feasibility study routes, moving goods from select Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach terminals to surrounding rail yards and warehouses for distribution. Toyota estimates the truck’s daily trips will total around 200 miles (322 km).

These localized, frequent route patterns are designed to test the demanding drayage duty-cycle capabilities of the fuel cell system while capturing real world performance data. As the study progresses, longer haul routes will be introduced.

The initial feasibility study operations will be managed by the TMNA Project Portal team, in collaboration with Toyota’s Service Parts Accessories Operations group and its drayage provider, Southern Counties Express (SCE).

Project Portal is the next step in Toyota’s effort to broaden the application of zero-emission fuel cell technology that can serve a range of industries. It is a fully functioning heavy-duty truck with the power and torque capacity to conduct port drayage operations while producing zero emissions. Heavy duty vehicles make up a significant percentage of the annual emissions output at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the Portal feasibility study may provide another path to further reduce emissions.

The Project Portal heavy-duty truck concept generates more than 670 horsepower and 1,325 lb-ft (1,797 N·m) of torque from two Mirai fuel cell stacks and a 12kWh battery—a relatively small battery to support Class 8 load operations. (Earlier post.) The concept’s gross combined weight capacity is 80,000 lbs., and its estimated driving range is more than 200 miles per fill, under normal drayage operation.

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Toyota’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck to Run Routes in California

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT)  /  October 13, 2017

Toyota Motor North America has announced that its Project Portal Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell truck has completed initial testing and development and will begin regular drayage routes at ports in Southern California starting in late October.

Project Portal has already completed more than 4,000 successful miles of testing while pulling drayage-rated cargo and will begin moving goods from select Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach terminals to surrounding rail yards and warehouses for distribution on Oct. 23. Project Portal was originally announced in April of this year as a proof of concept  to determine the feasibility of fuel cell technology for heavy-duty trucks in drayage operations.

With initial testing complete, the truck will log around 200 miles worth of daily trips from the twin ports. The localized, frequent route patterns are designed to test the drayage duty-cycle capabilities from the fuel cell system while capturing real-world performance data. As the study progresses, Toyota will introduce the truck to longer-haul routes.

The initial feasibility study operations will be managed by the TMNA Project Portal team in collaboration with Toyota’s Service Parts Accessories Operations group and its drayage provider, Southern Counties Express.

“Toyota has led the way in expanding the understanding and adoption of fuel cell technology,” said Bob Carter, TMNA executive vice president. “From the introduction of the Mirai passenger vehicle to the creation of the heavy-duty fuel cell system in Project Portal, Toyota continues to demonstrate the versatility and scalability of the zero-emission fuel cell powertrain.”

Project Portal is a fully functioning heavy-duty truck concept that generates more than 670 horsepower and 1,325 lb.-ft. of torque from two Mirai fuel cell stacks and a 12kWh battery - a relatively small battery to support Class 8 load operations. The concept’s gross combined weight capacity is 80,000 pounds and its estimated driving range is more than 200 miles per fill, under normal drayage operation.

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Toyota Reveals Latest Version of its Hydrogen Fuel Cell Class 8 Truck

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT)  /  July 30, 2018

Toyota unveiled the latest version of its Project Portal hydrogen fuel cell electric Class 8 truck, which it said boasts greater range and improvements to versatility and maneuverability. The truck was shown during a media briefing on July 30 at a Center for Automotive Research meeting in Traverse City. Michigan.

This Beta iteration of Project Portal expands on the original Alpha version by increasing range from 200 to 300 miles, adding on a sleeper cab, and engineering a unique "fuel cabinet  combination" that increases cab space without increasing wheelbase. Power numbers remain the same, with an output of over 670 horsepower and 1,325 lbs.-ft. of torque.

“Our goal with the first truck was to see if it could be accomplished, and we did that," said Craig Scott senior manager for Toyota's North American electrified vehicle & technologies office. "This time we're looking at commercial viability.”

The Project Portal Alpha vehicle has been operating at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles in Southern California since April 2017, so far logging 10,000 miles of testing and real-world drayage operations.

The improved Beta version will begin operating at the same ports in the fall. The truck was developed as a learning exercise for both Toyota and the ports to  help develop the zero-emissions Class 8 vehicle for short-range, drayage duty cycles.

The truck’s powertrain is based on that of the company’s Mirai fuel cell electric car, which is soldd in limited quantities in the U.S. Toyota noted that it is one of the first hydrogen fuel cell sedans sold commercially. In fact, the Project Portal truck combines two Mirai fuel cell stacks and a 12 kWh battery to power the vehicle.

"By evaluating the first truck in our test facilities and on the actual roads in the Los Angeles area, we made a list of improvements for the Beta truck build process and performance enhancements," said Andrew Lund, chief engineer for the project. "We needed to move beyond a proof of concept, which the first truck accomplished, to something that is not only better than the original,but is also more commercially viable."

This doubling-down for Toyota on a hydrogen fuel-cell Class 8 truck is part of the company's Environmental Challenge 2050 to eliminate CO2 emissions from its Toyota Logistics facility at the Port of Long Beach.

Toyota previously announced the construction of the Tri-Gen facility which will be the first megawatt-sized carbonate fuel cell power generation plant with hydrogen fueling in the world. . The renewable plant will use agricultural waste to generate water, electricity, and hydrogen that will support Toyota Logistics Services' operations at the Port of Long Beach.

“We want to help make a difference… a significant difference when it comes to the air quality not only in the LA area but across the U.S. and around the globe,” said Scott.

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Toyota, 3 partners to launch hydrogen fuel cell freight project

Anisa Jibrell, Automotive News  /  September 14, 2018

Toyota Motor North America is partnering with the Port of Los Angeles, Kenworth and Shell to launch a zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell freight project under which it will supply powertrains and provide operational support.

Toyota and Kenworth, owned by Paccar Inc., of Bellevue, Wash., will develop 10 zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell trucks, the automaker said Friday in a statement. The automaker will provide fuel cell stacks and tanks, batteries and the electric motors that will be used in Kenworth's Class 8 trucks, Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons told Automotive News.

The Port of Los Angeles said Friday that it was preliminarily awarded $41 million from the California Air Resources Board for the project, which is expected to reduce emissions by 465 metric tons of greenhouse gases. The cost of the project's first phase is $82.6 million, 50.2 percent of which will be funded by the partners.

According to the grant application, the project will provide "direct localized emission reductions in designated disadvantaged communities" in the Los Angeles area, including Ontario and Wilmington, Calif., and the surrounding communities of San Pedro and Long Beach, Calif.

Toyota Logistics Services will operate zero-emission forklifts and oversee Toyota Transport, which will operate the hydrogen fuel cell trucks, the application says.

The proposal was developed by the four partners, but the Port of Los Angeles is listed as the lead applicant.

The second phase of the project involves setting up two hydrogen fuel stations, operated by Shell, in Ontario and Wilmington. The new stations, along with three at Toyota operations around Los Angeles, will create a fueling network to transport goods from "shore to store."

The last phase entails the use of zero-emission technology in off-road and warehouse equipment. For example, two zero-emission yard tractors will be used at the Port of Hueneme about 65 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

The partners expect CARB to officially award the grant by year end, Lyons said.

The project is in line with Toyota's plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions from its Toyota Logistics center at the Port of Long Beach by 2050.

In July at the CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Mich., the automaker unveiled a second generation of its proposed hydrogen fuel cell semitruck, known as Project Portal 2.0.

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The lead US truckmaker partnering with the lead global carmaker. Noteworthy.

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CARB Awards $41 Million for Hydrogen Electric Truck Project

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT)  /  September 14, 2018

The California Air Resources Board has preliminarily awarded $41 million to the Port of Los Angeles to establish network to transport goods throughout southern California using hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks.

CARB is fronting half of the $82.5 million needed for the initial phase the Zero Emission and Near-Zero Emission Freight Facilities with the partners providing the other half in match funding. The project was proposed with support from Toyota, Kenworth, and Shell to provide a large-scale “shore to store” plan and a hydrogen fuel-cell-electric technology framework for freight facilities to structure operations for future goods movement.

“This matching grant from CARB’s California Climate Investments program is critically needed funding support to develop and commercialize the next generation of clean port equipment and drayage truck, as well as the infrastructure to support it,” said Gene Seroka, Port of Los Angeles executive director. “This grant funds a public-private collaboration that is representative of our commitment to being a ‘market maker’ through collaborative technology and fuel infrastructure development with industry leaders like Toyota, Kenworth and Shell.”

The project phase includes collaboration between Toyota and Kenworth to develop ten new hydrogen fuel-cell electric Class 8 trucks based on the Kenworth T680. The trucks would move goods throughout Southern California and will be operated by Toyota Logistics Services, UPS, Total Transportation Services, and Southern Counties Express.

Two new large capacity hydrogen fueling stations will be developed by Shell and will join three additional stations located at Toyota facilities to form an integrated hydrogen fueling network in the region.

The project also expands the use of zero emissions technology in off-road and warehouse equipment. This includes two zero emissions yard tractors to be operated at the Port of Hueneme as well as expanded use of zero-emission forklifts at Toyota’s port warehouse.

The project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that cap-and-trade dollars to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy, and improve public health and the environment.

“This is an excellent opportunity for Port of Los Angeles, Kenworth, and Toyota to work together to both explore and drive advanced zero emission technologies that will play a critical role in the clean trucks of the future,” said Mike Dozier, Kenworth general manager and Paccar vice president.

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Toyota, Kenworth Collaborate on Zero-Emission Trucks

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT)  /  January 8, 2019

Kenworth Truck Company and Toyota Motor North America are collaborating to develop 10 zero-emission Kenworth T680s powered by Toyota hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrains.

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.

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. 

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Kenworth and Toyota Collaborate To Develop Zero Emission Trucks

Kenworth Truck Co. Press Release  /  January 8, 2019

LAS VEGAS, Nevada - Kenworth Truck Company and Toyota Motor North America are collaborating to develop 10 zero-emission Kenworth T680s powered by Toyota hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrains. 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.

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Kenworth, Toyota Join Forces to Reduce Emissions at California Ports

Transport Topics  /  April 23, 2019

LOS ANGELES — Kenworth Trucks joined forces with several allies April 22 in the battle against greenhouse gases, unveiling three of 10 Class 8 trucks that will run using hydrogen fuel cells developed by Toyota.

The trucks were displayed at the Port of Los Angeles on Earth Day in front of about 200 government, port, business and trucking officials, an event held before the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo on April 23-26.

The Kenworth T680 Class 8 models were used to build the 10 trucks — known as fuel cell electric trucks — that will be implemented in the Los Angeles area as part of a pilot program, running freight from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to spots in Southern California. The trucks will be used by UPS Inc., Toyota Motor Corp., Southern Counties Express and Total Transportation Services.

The trucks have a range of 300 miles, and the hydrogen fuel can be refilled as fast as a diesel tank can, officials said. The zero-emissions trucks, which run quietly, have the “potential literally to change the air we breathe,” said Robert Carter, executive vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor North America.

And the trucks are all business, too, with 560 horsepower, he said.

“These things really haul,” Carter said.

The program is part of the Zero and Near-Zero Emissions Freight Facilities Project, an effort by California to reduce emissions in an area of the state where hydrocarbon waste doesn’t dissipate easily.

To assist with the expensive production and implementation of the pilot, the California Air Resources Board awarded $41 million to the Port of Los Angeles for the ZANZEFF project as part of California Climate Investments, a state initiative that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Testing began in April 2017, and the trucks have logged more than 14,000 miles of testing and real-world drayage operations in and around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach while emitting nothing but water vapor, according to Toyota spokesman Russ Koble.

Toyota and Kenworth officials said the first Kenworth-Toyota fuel cell electric truck will begin drayage operations in the fourth quarter of this year.

The initiative will help reduce emissions by more than 500 tons of greenhouse gas and 0.72 weighted tons of nitrogen oxide and other emissions.

But one problem with such vehicles is the lack of fueling stations. Toyota officials said two new hydrogen fueling stations will be developed by Shell in the California cities of Wilmington and Ontario. Those stations will join three Toyota additional stations to form an integrated, five-station hydrogen fueling network for the Los Angeles area.

For now, Toyota, Kenworth and port officials acknowledge the effort is a “drop in the bucket.” More than 16,000 trucks serve the Los Angeles and Long Beach port complexes, North America’s largest trade gateway for containerized cargo, according to port officials — and that number is estimated to grow to 32,000 by 2030.

But port officials said they were optimistic. The Port of Los Angeles already has reduced diesel particulate matter by 87%, meeting its 2023 goal of a 77% reduction. Nitrogen oxides also are down 58%, almost meeting the 2023 goal of a 59% reduction. The reductions are all the more impressive given that the port’s traffic as measured by 20-foot equivalent units is expected to rise by 19% by 2023, said Chris Cannon, the Los Angeles port’s chief sustainability officer.

The Earth Day unveiling was an unofficial kickoff to the ACT Expo. The event is an annual showcase of environmental policies, sustainability strategies, and green technologies and fuels.

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