Will Hydrogen Fuel Transform The Trucking Industry
Trucking is big business with no end in sight. 15.5 million trucks transport freight throughout the United States employing 8.9 million people in trucking-related jobs. Approximately 70% of all freight transported in the U.S. each year is hauled via trucks on our nation’s highways, creating $255.5 billion in revenue for the industry alone. However, these benefits don’t come without damage to our environment: one average freight truck carrying 20 short tons of cargo for 1,000 miles emits approximately 3.24 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
As the United States pushes harder towards achieving clean air goals through zero-emission standards, a major focus has been on how to alter the fuel
strategy for these fleets of trucks. In the past, electric batteries using the same basic technology as BEV cars and pickup trucks were considered, but due to the heavy load and need to travel very long distances without stopping for a “fill” eliminated that particular green technology as a viable option.
Hydrogen, however, is the perfect solution. In 2019, Nikola Motors, a manufacturer of hydrogen trucks, announced that their vehicles achieved 12 to 15 mpg compared to the industry average for conventional fuel trucks at 6.4 mpg. Currently, the most significant challenge for the industry is fuel distribution—having a sufficient infrastructure to fuel up hydrogen vehicles across the country.
Fortunately, the method used to refuel a hydrogen-powered vehicle is very similar to that of a diesel truck—the fuel is pumped into the tank using a fuel pump and nozzle. Filling a tank with hydrogen is a bit faster, too—it only takes about 15 minutes to fill a freight truck which means it can be back on the road in much less time.
The Biden Administration has already shown significant interest in hydrogen fuel as a solution towards meeting clean energy initiatives. In March, they release a Notice of Intent (NOI) regarding an upcoming funding opportunity announcement (FOA) titled “Supertruck 3” (DE-FOA-0002464). According to the NOI, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue this FOA on behalf of the Vehicles Technology Office and the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office to identify innovative R&D concepts that will enable medium and heavy-duty vehicle original equipment manufacturers and other suppliers in the industry to implement hydrogen fuel technology.
What does this mean for you?
It is clear hydrogen fuel will be a major component in our country’s plans for clean fuel alternatives. PowerTap Hydrogen makes providing hydrogen fuel to customers easy and cost-efficient with on-site fuel production generators requiring less than 1,000 square feet of space. With PowerTap, your fuel station will be part of the clean energy infrastructure serving the next wave of efficient transportation—the hydrogen-powered trucking industry. Visit our website and contact our support team to learn more about how easy it is to add hydrogen fuel to your product lineup.