Kenworth Offers Sneak Peek at Zero-Emmissions Truck
February 13, 2018 - 9:46:45 am

Kenworth has released information on its latest green initiative, the Zero Emissions Cargo Transport. The heavy-duty truck is a hydrogen fuel cell powered battery-electric vehicle, capable at this point of about 100 miles of travel fully loaded. Kenworth plans to increase that in the future with the addition of greater hydrogen storage capacity.

The truck produces no emissions other than a small column of steam when the hydrogen fuel cell stack is charging the batteries. It make no noise other than the cooling fans and the air compressor. This truck will be deployed at a Los Angeles-based port drayage company, Total Transportation Services, Inc. at the end of March working at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

“We have another four to six weeks of testing planned before we take it to Los Angeles”, said Brian Lindgren, Kenworth’s research and development manager, “By then we fully expect it will be ready to haul loads in the real world.” The powertrain on this truck is scaled for short-haul service, working at a drayage facility where it will run 30-50 miles per day.

Consequently, it has a fairly small hydrogen storage capacity, and batteries that can comfortably deliver speeds in the 30-50 mph range. It will go much faster, according to Lindgren, but is limited for the testing phase.

“Our motors are rated at 420 kw or about 565 hp at a constant rate, but they will peak considerably higher,” he said. “We are limiting the output to about 300 kw until we prove out the systems.” The fuel cell system has a net output of 85 kw, but to run an 80,000-lb truck at 65 mph takes about 125 kw, so the truck isn’t set up for the highway. But that doesn’t mean it lacks performance. There’s enough power to maintain 30 mph on a 6% grade and to start on a 20% grade with 80,000 lb.

The system is powered by six compressed hydrogen storage tanks, each containing about 5 kilograms of hydrogen gas compressed to about 5000 psi. The range of the truck is limited by the hydrogen capacity. It has 100 kwh of capacity with about 80-90 kwh usable. It takes about 2 kwh per mile to move the truck down the road, and 70% of the battery’s capacity would run the truck about 70 miles. The present battery pack weighs about 5000 lbs.