Hyzon Motors supplies world’s heaviest hydrogen-powered truck

Hyzon Motors, the New York-based global supplier of zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell powered commercial vehicles, has signed an agreement to supply what is expected to be the world’s heaviest zero-emissions truck on record, at twice the weight of the Space Shuttle.

As a company focused on hydrogen fuel cells, Hyzon Motors has had an easy time earning headlines. Already this year in Australia, Sydney-based Real Energy Corporation’s hydrogen division Pure Hydrogen Corpsigned an MOU  with Hyzon  Australia to collaborate on the development of an Australian network of hydrogen refuelling points.

Similarly, a month later, Hyzon announced in February that it had signed a merger agreement with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corp to form a special purpose acquisition company in a deal reportedly worth $US2.7 billion ($A3.5 billion) – a relatively commonplace method for new-mobility companies to raise capital through an IPO.

A spin-off from Singapore based Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, Hyzon Motors now finds itself working hard to prove the value and worth of hydrogen fuel cell-powered commercial vehicles, particularly in long haul and heavy-duty trucks.

It said on July 1 that it had signed an MOU to supply to an unnamed European heavy-lift, transport, and rigging group, what is believed to be the world’s heaviest zero-emissions truck.

The Hyzon hydrogen fuel cell-powered truck weighs in at 154-tonnes, fully loaded, and are considered to be the industry’s heaviest, providing 480-kilowatts of power.

“This technological development will demonstrate that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can replace diesel for even the most heavy-duty needs,” said Hyzon CEO Craig Knight.

Hyzon didn’t reveal much more about the MoU, and as such it is difficult to tell precisely what truck Hyzon are referring to.

According to the company’s own website – which does not provide consistent weight information or measurements – it currently offers City & Coach buses, Medium Duty Trucks which weigh from 20,000-pounds to 50,000-pounds (9-tonnes to 22-tonnes), and Heavy Duty Trucks which weigh up to 50 tonnes (110,000-pounds).

So whether or not Hyzon’s new record announcement is referring to an unnamed vehicle, or one of its existing vehicles, is uncertain.