Canada-based Loop Energy announced today that its fuel cell range extender system is fully functional and operating in a heavy-duty yard truck with partner China National Heavy-Duty Truck Co., a manufacturer of heavy-duty commercial vehicles and the parent company of Sinotruk.
According to Loop Energy, the heavy-duty vehicle addresses the limitations of pure battery-electric trucks for short- and regional-haul freight markets, offering extended range, rapid refueling and zero tailpipe emissions, while providing an economically viable replacement for polluting diesel engines.
“As the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and others around the world, strive to eliminate polluting diesel trucks from the movement of goods, Loop is ready to help clean the air,” says Ben Nyland, president and CEO of Loop Energy.
“This vehicle is the first hydrogen-powered yard truck that has the potential to substantially reduce emissions from port operations while achieving cost targets demanded by trucking operators, without subsidies,” he says.
Designed around Loop Energy’s patented eFlow technology to optimize air flow inside the fuel cell, the company’s efficient and powerful range extender is combined with an electric battery system to deliver enhanced vehicle performance in various operating environments, as well as improved durability and cost benefits, the company says.
In a heavy-duty truck, Loop Energy’s hydrogen fuel cell range extender system acts as an on-board power generator to charge batteries which support peak power demands and capture energy derived through regenerative braking. This hybrid solution reduces the size and weight of a pure battery-electric truck to provide extended range, super high-torque for heavy loads, quick fill-ups and emission-free freight movement.
Loop Energy says its fuel cell design can be modified for a broad array of applications, including heavy-duty buses, container trucks, vocational vehicles and automobiles.
