General Motors has struck a deal with commercial vehicle maker Autocar to use its hydrogen fuel cell technology to power a range of heavy-duty work vehicles. Hydrogen fuel cells (which use compressed hydrogen as fuel and whose only emission is water vapor) have been developed for decades. GM has condensed its Hydrotec-branded system into a "power cube" that includes 300 individual hydrogen fuel cells, with the current generation of hydrogen fuel cells delivering 80 kilowatts of net power.
The automaker has said it hopes to use the cubes in a variety of devices, including mobile generators and temporary electric car chargers. Now, this use has been extended to industrial vehicles.
Autocar, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a 126-year-old manufacturer of Class 7 and Class 8 work vehicles, including garbage trucks, cement mixers, terminal tractors and more.
GM said that while its Ultium brand electric vehicle battery packs are well suited for passenger cars, large trucks and work vehicles will require different solutions if they are to eliminate tailpipe emissions. GM says its Hydrotec Powercubs are lightweight and enable large payloads, excellent range and fast refueling.
The first such vehicles will go into production at Autocar's truck plant in Birmingham in 2026. First produced were cement mixers, roll-off trucks and dump trucks, all of which had a common structure, followed by garbage trucks and terminal tractors.
However, one of the biggest challenges is the lack of hydrogen charging and refueling infrastructure. Although the technology has been developed for decades, there are only more than 50 hydrogen refueling stations in California, mostly concentrated in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. The East Coast is also trying to get in on the action, with some gas stations already in operation and more planned in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Hydrogen has a low energy content by volume, which makes storing it a challenge because it requires high pressure, low temperature, or chemical processes for compact storage. Overcoming this challenge is important for light-duty vehicles, which often have limited size and weight to store fuel.
In addition to industrial vehicles, GM is also using its Hydrotec technology for mobile power generation. The hydrogen-powered generator will initially be sold primarily to commercial and military customers, but the automaker said it plans to offer a civilian version in the future.