Under a new memorandum of understanding, Air Products and Cummins Inc are working together to accelerate the integration of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Cummins will provide hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrains integrated into selected OEM partners’ heavy-duty trucks for Air Products, as Air Products begins the process of converting its global fleet of distribution vehicles to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Following a successful demonstration and pilot phase, Air Products plans to convert its global fleet of approximately 2,000 trucks to hydrogen fuel cell zero-emission vehicles. Cummins and Air Products expect the demonstration phase to begin in 2022. Additionally, Cummins and Air Products will work together to increase the accessibility of renewable hydrogen, including hydrogen infrastructure opportunities that promote the adoption of hydrogen for mobility.
“We believe hydrogen is the future for heavy duty segments of the transportation market and we can demonstrate to the world its merits by being a first-mover in transitioning our heavy-duty fleet of trucks to hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles,” says Seifi Ghasemi, Air Products’ chairman, president and CEO. “We are pleased to be working with Cummins to achieve our fleet transition goals.”
“This is another turning point for hydrogen and the energy transition,” states Tom Linebarger, chairman and CEO at Cummins. “As we develop the technologies of tomorrow, we need the partnership of others to be successful, and this partnership with Air Products is the next step in leading the industry on the path to a zero-emissions future.”
“The best way to promote the adoption of hydrogen for mobility in heavy-duty applications is for us to have units on the road and lead by example. In addition to other heavy-duty applications like transit fleets, where we already provide fueling solutions, the semi-truck market is a major opportunity for hydrogen due to its rigorous requirements. Only hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can provide the necessary range, refueling time, and weight requirements to decarbonize this important transportation sector,” says Eric Guter, Air Products’ vice president for hydrogen for mobility solutions.
