The California Energy Commission (CEC) has selected Symbio, Michelin, Faurecia, GTI, and other industry partners to develop and test a hydrogen-fueled Class 8 regional haul truck as a major contribution to a state-funded hydrogen mobility project.
The CEC-funded “Symbio H2 Central Valley Express” project will build and test a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle with the performance of a 15-liter diesel truck, thereby providing a zero-emission option for challenging regional-haul trucking operations. Beginning in the second half of 2023, the truck will operate for 12 months along a difficult 400-mile route connecting the Inland Empire and the Northern San Joaquin Valley. It will be located within the area of a California natural gas investor-owned utility and will make use of existing and future hydrogen infrastructure provided by Air Liquide, Shell, and Trillium’s. This hydrogen truck initiative aims to contribute to California’s objective of reaching economic neutrality by 2045.
“We are thrilled with this award – a testimonial of Symbio’s recognized fuel-cell technology leadership and system integration know-how. We thank CEC for their vote of confidence in this team. This demonstration constitutes a major strategic inroad in the region where Symbio is stepping-up our investments in workforce and engineering integration capabilities in California. Ultimately through this project and the contributions of the whole team, we are determined to address current commercialization barriers and accelerate the adoption of hydrogen-based heavy-duty mobility solutions in the goods movement market.” – Rob Del Core, General Manager, Symbio North America.
“We see this grant as a resounding vote of confidence from the California Energy Commission. Being chosen from a pool of strong applicants shows that Symbio is regarded as a tier-one name in hydrogen mobility. Michelin and Faurecia promote hydrogen through this joint venture, as we believe there is a way to develop mobility while protecting the environment. Hydrogen technology is a vital element in the electric vehicle revolution because it not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s also a faster-charging, longer-range option for electric vehicles. This award is a big step in our commitment to sustainable development and mobility.” – Alexis Garcin, Chairman and President, Michelin North America.
“This special project showcases the strength of a unique ecosystem of partners with innovative technologies of which Faurecia is proud to be a part of, in a region that is leading the future of clean energy. We appreciate the trust given to us by the California Energy Commission to enhance hydrogen technology solutions for heavy duty mobility. It shows great confidence in Faurecia’s hydrogen storage systems’ expertise and strategic vision for hydrogen mobility as a cornerstone of the energy transition.” – Jose-Vicente March, Zero Emission General Manager, Faurecia.
Hydrogen is ideal for decarbonizing heavy duty mobility, providing greater autonomy, payload, faster refueling, and lower total cost of ownership. A greater driving range and faster refilling time are important for high-use commercial vehicles to maximize uptime.
Faurecia, a FORVIA Group company, will provide a complete hydrogen storage system with five 700 bar homologated tanks. Faurecia covers 75% of the hydrogen powertrain and delivers best-in-class solutions as part of a developing ecosystem. The company has a global manufacturing base, systems integration capabilities, and an R&D hydrogen center of excellence, and has worked with international OEMs like Stellantis, Hyundai, and Hyvia on hydrogen commercial and light commercial cars.
Michelin will supply low-rolling resistance tires with greater load capacity and safety. So Michelin is helping to make the switch to cleaner, more efficient electric mobility options that have a longer range. Our tires’ energy efficiency has doubled in 20 years. Michelin has nearly two decades of expertise producing hydrogen fuel cells.
It will use Symbio’s StackPack fuel cell stack technology, Faurecia’s hydrogen storage system, and Michelin’s low resistance tires in a Freightliner Cascadia frame. With over 30 years of combined experience in hydrogen fuel-cell system development and vehicle integration, Symbio is happy to have been chosen by Stellantis for its deployment of Hydrogen-powered Light Commercial Vehicles, the world’s first. The Group is also establishing one of Europe’s largest hydrogen fuel-cell factories and a world-class innovation center in Lyon, France, both of which will be operational in 2023.
GTI, a prominent research and training organization shaping energy transitions, will administer the grants, provide technical expertise and program management, and collect data. Total Transportation Services (TTSI) will operate the truck in the demonstration, while Frontier Energy will do community engagement and Ricardo Strategic Consulting will analyze the data. Funding will come from SoCalGas and UTD, a global collaboration of top natural gas utilities.
