New Energies, new possibilities

Both Class 8 trucks ascended the famed road without any harmful tailpipe emissions, being the first of their kind to do so.

The hillclimb route up to Pikes Peak in Colorado is renowned as one of the most grueling and challenging of its kind, through its mix of length, altitude and myriad of treacherous high-speed turns. You’d not expect it to be used to promote alternatively powered Class 8 trucks, but that’s exactly what PACCAR did with models from its Peterbilt and Kenworth brands.

According to Kyle Quinn, PACCAR chief technology officer, they

‘ Are very excited about the work Kenworth and Peterbilt have done in the development of zero emissions technology. Conquering Pikes Peak demonstrates PACCAR’s leadership in fuel cell and commercial vehicle electrification. ‘

The trucks that did it are Peterbilt Model 579EV battery electric truck and the Kenworth T680 fuel cell electric truck are apparently the first Class 8 zero emissions vehicles to be driven all the way up to the 14,115-foot (4,302-meter) peak.

With up to 670 horsepower and 150 miles (241  km) of range from its thermally-controlled lithium iron phosphate battery pack, the Model 579EV is an electric truck that is already seeing active service. There are apparently already 22 units on the road right now.

Jason Skoog, Peterbilt general manager and PACCAR vice president, explained that

‘ Taking the Peterbilt Model 579EV to the summit of ‘America’s Mountain’ is an important milestone for Peterbilt and our entire lineup of battery electric commercial vehicles. Being the first battery electric Class 8 truck to climb to the top of Pikes Peak is further validation of all the real-world miles Peterbilt has accumulated across our entire EV test fleet and demonstrates we are ready to deliver production vehicles to our customers next year. ‘

(Bloomberg) -- China’s push for more fuel-cell vehicles is inspiring startup Anhui Mingtian Hydrogen Energy Technology Co. to step up its growth, with the technology provider working on fresh fundraising en route toward an initial share sale.

Mingtian is talking to investors and plans to raise about 200 million yuan ($30 million) at a valuation of as much as 2 billion yuan by the end of the first half next year, Chairman Wang Chaoyun said in an interview in Beijing. The company wants an initial public offering on Shanghai’s Star Board in three years, he said.

While there are few hydrogen cars on China’s roads, the government unveiled the first national policy this year that’s aimed at boosting demand for the environmentally friendly vehicles. Annual sales of fuel-cell vehicles in China are set to rise by 10 times in five years to 50,000 units before hitting half a million by 2035, Wang estimated.

“The government polices are like a blessing” for the industry, Wang said. “The market is heating up.”

China has been providing subsidies to buyers of fuel-cell vehicles since 2009, but demand has been low. As of July, there were only about 7,200 fuel-cell automobiles in use and 80 hydrogen charging stations in the country. That compares with millions of battery-electric cars, seen as an alternative to hydrogen vehicles.In September, the government announced new steps to accelerate the fuel-cell segment’s growth. Among the measures, it said it is introducing rewards to cities that carry out hydrogen-vehicle pilots.

Mingtian, which means bright sky in Chinese, develops fuel-cell stacks and other inner workings for hydrogen vehicles. The company expects to have its stacks installed in 2,000 vehicles in 2022 and about 10,000 vehicles in 2025, Wang said.

The hydrogen fuel cell-powered Hyundai Nexo was first shown to the public in early 2018 but unless you're a resident of California, it's not for sale elsewhere in the US. That's a shame because the Nexo is a mid-size premium crossover built on its own unique platform (it's around the size of a Hyundai Tucson) boasting an EPA rated range of up to 380 miles on a full charge. The other downside is its $60,000 or so price tag. Advanced fuel cell tech isn't cheap.

Still, the South Korean automaker has no plans to abandon the FCEV segment in the US nor anywhere else. It remains a worthwhile investment as the auto industry continues to move away from pure combustion engine towards electrification. Battery electrics might eventually rule, but FCEVs aren't out of the picture yet.

That being said, Top Electric SUV has learned Hyundai is currently planning a significant update for the Nexo that will see its range expand to 500 miles. To compare, the recently revealed Tesla Model S Long Range Plus has an EPA range of 402 miles. The $140,000 Model S Plaid has a claimed range of at least 520 miles but the Nexo costs an awful lot less.

This new Nexo information originally came about when South Korea's president was taking a tour of a Hyundai plant in the country and was asking about the Nexo's range. Hyundai Chairman Euisun Chung was with him and felt it necessary to answer the president's question with this response: "I plan to increase its [Nexo's] range to 497 miles in the future." Impressive.

So why, exactly, did the South Korean president have such a specific interest in the Nexo? It's not like American politicians outside of California are even aware of its existence. The answer is because Hyundai has sold more than 10,000 Nexos since it went on sale there in March 2018. Extending the vehicle's range from 380 miles to about 500 miles makes a big statement about the company's tech capabilities and the country's commitment to zero emissions. The report claims the updated Hyundai Nexo is due to arrive sometime in 2021.

And if you think a 500-mile Nexo is cool, bear in mind the just revealed Toyota Mirai FCEV can reportedly travel up to 528 miles on a single charge.

https://carbuzz.com/news/new-hyundai-nexo-will-destroy-tesla-model-s-400-mile-range

The high-performance design is meant for zero-emission hydrogen powered vehicle applications.

Nuvera Fuel Cells, LLC, has announced that its new E-45 fuel cell engine is now commercially available. The company provides fuel cell power solutions for vehicle applications.

This engine is the latest addition to the complete Nuvera product line can be seamlessly integrated.

The new Nuvera E-45 fuel cell engine has been designed to be seamlessly integrated into commercial medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles. Possible applications include buses and electric delivery vans as well as Class 8 vehicles such as long-haul trucks, yard tractors and even port container handling equipment.

This new solution can provide a vehicle with its primary power or can be used in a hybrid format with batteries in order to extend the range of electric vehicles and offer high-performance powertrain electrifications.

Nuvera worked with project partners such as Hyster-Yale Group to incorporate the new E-45s into a Hyster top-loading container handler. This equipment will begin its operation later in 2020 at the Port of Los Angeles. The company is also currently working on developing a fuel cell transit bus platform in China.

The goal for the E-45 fuel cell engine is to be flexible enough to suit a spectrum of mobility markets.

“Our strategy for the E-45 fuel cell engine was to design a system that meets the needs of multiple mobility markets, and easily incorporates into existing electric vehicle platforms, taking maximum advantage of our unique core stack technology,” said Nuvera fuel cell engine product manager Matt Weig.

This new product features a patented control logic for optimized operation in addition to its own fully integrated compressor. The company’s fuel cell stack technology brings uncoated metal plates into an open flow field architecture. This design makes it possible for the outcome to be compact, durable, and operate at a low cost.

The E-45 fuel cell engine is manufactured at the Nuvera headquarters, which is located in Billerica, Massachusetts. That said, the company aims to expand its manufacturing to China, particularly for

The goal for the E-45 fuel cell engine is to be flexible enough to suit a spectrum of mobility markets.

“Our strategy for the E-45 fuel cell engine was to design a system that meets the needs of multiple mobility markets, and easily incorporates into existing electric vehicle platforms, taking maximum advantage of our unique core stack technology,” said Nuvera fuel cell engine product manager Matt Weig.

This new product features a patented control logic for optimized operation in addition to its own fully integrated compressor. The company’s fuel cell stack technology brings uncoated metal plates into an open flow field architecture. This design makes it possible for the outcome to be compact, durable, and operate at a low cost.

On October 20, 2020, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) introduced in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives the Zero-Emission Vehicles At of 2020 (the Act). The Act would amend Part A of Title II of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to create a federal national zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) standard and address climate change by ending U.S. sales of new gasoline-powered vehicles in 2035. Senator Merkley and Representative Levin’s standard aims to boost the market for battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Sponsored by four other Senators and an additional 15 Representatives, the ZEV standard has also been criticized by conservatives and biofuels industry stakeholders. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) stated that Iowans should not “allow coastal state lawmakers to dictate to Middle America how to live [their] lives or take away the freedom to choose what kind of car to buy.”

https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/senator-merkley-and-representative-13827/