Hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks to be trialled in California ports

The grant provided by the Japanese governmental agency, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), to Hino US, will support the demonstration of Hino’s Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell trucks in collaboration with Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Mitsui E&S Machinery Co Ltd and PACECO CORP.

Hino said that the NEDO grant is expected to be ”a beneficial approach for specifically targeting port operations” and environmentally burdened disadvantages communities that California’s initiative concerns.

Green strategy

The team plans to demonstrate zero-emission operation generated by hydrogen power units in daily drayage operations in and around the ports.

Hino will provide several of its prototype Class 8 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV), recently revealed at the ACT Expo in August 2021 as part of a joint development effort with Toyota.

Also included in the grant programme, will be monitoring and analysis of the operational and maintenance interval data to optimise the efficiency and safety of the vehicles.

Hino is developing a full range of zero emissions vehicles to meet growing customer demand and sees this project as a viable contributor to its “Challenge 2025” strategy, which aims to lower the company’s global emissions footprint through reduced GHG emissions.

The company is a Toyota Group Company which manufactures, sells, and services a lineup of Class 4-8 commercial trucks in the United States.