A partnership between Toyota, Kenworth, the Port of Los Angeles and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has yielded the first Toyota-Kenworth fuel cell electric heavy-duty truck (FCET), something they hail as a forward step in zero-emission trucking.
The new vehicle combines a Kenworth T680 Class 8 model with Toyota’s fuel cell electric technology. It was revealed last month as part of the Zero-and-Near-Zero Emission Freight Facilities Project (ZANZEFF) — an effort that will see 10 trucks deployed for cargo hauling at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The new vehicles, by their estimation, bring enhanced capability, packaging, and performance, coupled with driving ranges of more than 300 miles per fill.
“Toyota is committed to fuel cell electric technology as a powertrain for the future because it’s a clean, scalable platform that can meet a broad range of mobility needs with zero emissions,” Bob Carter, executive vice president for Automotive Operations Toyota, said. “The ZANZEFF collaboration and the innovative ‘Shore-to-Store’ project allow us to move Heavy-Duty Truck Fuel Cell Electric technology towards commercialization.”
Work on the project has been underway since 2017, and now that proof of concepts have been rendered, the new vehicles should begin drayage operations in the fourth quarter of this year. In all, CARB has awarded $41 million to the Port of Los Angeles for the project.
“This substantial climate investment by the state, matched by the project partners, will help speed up the number of zero-emission trucks in the California communities and neighborhoods where they are needed the most,” CARB Chair Mary Nichols said. “It will provide a real-world, at-work demonstration of innovative heavy-duty fuel cell electric technologies. The project offers a commercial solution to move cargo and freight around the state using zero-emission trucks and equipment that protect air quality and cut climate-changing emissions.”
The trucks will be operated by Toyota Logistics Services, United Parcel Services, Total Transportation Services Inc., and Southern Counties Express.