Michelin partnering in US hydrogen truck project

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has selected Symbio – the joint venture created by Michelin and Faurecia in 2019 with the aim of becoming a world leader in hydrogen mobility – to develop and demonstrate a hydrogen-fuelled, regional-haul Class 8 truck for a state-supported hydrogen mobility project. Symbio will collaborate on this project with Michelin, Faurecia and other industry partners, including energy transitions research and training organisation GTI.

The Symbio H2 Central Valley Express project, supported with US$2 million from the CEC, will develop and demonstrate a hydrogen fuel cell truck that matches the performance of a 15-litre diesel truck providing a zero-emission solution for demanding regional-haul trucking operations. Starting in the second half of 2023, the truck will run for 12 months on a challenging 400-mile route, utilising existing and future hydrogen infrastructure. This hydrogen truck project strives to support California’s goal of achieving economy wide carbon neutrality by 2045.

Resounding vote of confidence

“We are thrilled with this award – a testimonial of Symbio’s recognised fuel-cell technology leadership and system integration know-how,” says Rob Del Core, general manager, Symbio North America. “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 commercialisation barriers and accelerate the adoption of hydrogen-based heavy-duty mobility solutions in the goods movement market.”

Alexis Garcin, chairman and president, Michelin North America, adds: “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.”

Partners bringing specialised know-how

Michelin and its partners consider hydrogen perfectly suited to decarbonising heavy duty mobility, bringing distinctive advantages including more autonomy, higher payload, a shorter refuelling time and a reduced total cost of ownership. It is particularly attractive for highly utilised commercial vehicles which need a longer driving range and faster refuelling time to maximise uptime.

Faurecia, a Group Forvia company, will bring its expertise in hydrogen storage systems by providing a complete hydrogen storage system with five 700 bar homologated tanks. At the heart of a growing ecosystem, leveraging commercial and technological partnerships, Faurecia covers 75 per cent of the hydrogen powertrain and offers best-in-class solutions.

In addition to supplying low rolling resistance tyres, Michelin brings to the project nearly 20 years of experience in developing hydrogen fuel-cell technologies. Michelin notes that its tyres’ energy efficiency has increased by 20 per cent over the past 20 years.

Symbio will design, develop, and integrate a heavy-duty long-haul truck ready fuel cell powertrain powered by Symbio’s fuel cell stack technology – StackPack, coupled with Faurecia’s hydrogen storage system and Michelin’s low resistance tyres into a Freightliner Cascadia platform.

GTI will lead the grant administration, provide technical insight and program management as well as perform data collection. Other project partners include Total Transportation Services (TTSI), the fleet operator that will demonstrate the truck, Frontier Energy for community outreach, and Ricardo Strategic Consulting for demonstration data analysis. Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) and Utilization Technology Development (UTD), a global collaboration of leading natural gas utilities, will provide funding support.