A pilot scheme at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, using two fuel cell powered Class 8 trucks, is due to get underway this month. Toyota Logistics Services and Southern Counties Express will each receive a Kenworth T680 Class 8 truck powered by a Toyota fuel cell electric drivetrain, both of which will be used for drayage operations in the ports.
An additional eight trucks will be delivered in 2021 as part of the program. Three of these will go to UPS for its port operations and two will go to Total Transportation Services, another prominent port operator. Toyota Logistics Services will also receive three additional trucks.
Development of the Kenworth T680 FCEV is part of a US$41m Zero and Near-Zero Emission Freight Facilities (ZANZEFF) grant awarded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), with the Port of Los Angeles as the prime applicant.
“After extensive testing with our proof-of-concept prototypes, we’re ready for the next step of putting more trucks into drayage operations,” said Andrew Lund, chief engineer, Toyota Motor North America R&D. “Moving toward emission-free trucks is more important than ever, and the ZANZEFF project has been instrumental in getting us closer to that goal.”
“The Port is currently engaged in 16 different zero-emission demonstration projects to support development of on-road trucks that we expect will help bring feasible zero-emission technology to the marketplace,” added Chris Cannon, chief sustainability officer for the Port of Los Angeles. “Conversion of the port drayage fleet to zero-emission technology involves tremendous financial investment and will take the collaboration and commitment of many stakeholders – both public and private – to create a viable market for zero-emission drayage technology. We are proud of our continuing partnership under this project to deploy these trucks as an important step in verifying the capabilities and role of hydrogen fuel cell technology in the path to zero emissions.”