Written by Tom Moore | Jun 13, 2023 10:58:44 PM
Next year, truck manufacturers will need to supply 9% of trucks sold in California to be zero-emission. But this is tougher than it sounds:
- Batteries add substantial weight —decreasing payload. Consider an EV Hummer weighs in at 9,000#
- Batteries demand huge recharging infrastructure and potentially long waits — and today, there is no/limited infrastructure
Hydrogen has two competing technologies — no winner yet:
- Fuel cells
- Standard internal combustion engines fed with hydrogen
Hydrogen has no/limited infrastructure and no standard for things like pressure and nozzle size (Europe plans to have hydrogen every 200 km by 2031).
My take— don’t count out diesel. It will be around for a long time. California will see battery applications in smaller local delivery straight trucks — and maybe more yard-jockeys. Class 8 long-haul loads need the power of fossil fuel for now.