Cummins and Navistar International to build fuel cell truck

US engine giant Cummins and Navistar International are teaming up on the development of a class 8 truck powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

The project will be funded in part through a US Department of Energy award to develop affordable hydrogen production, storage, distribution and use.

“This vehicle will feature our next generation fuel cell configuration and provides a springboard for us to advance our hydrogen technology for line haul trucks,” Cummins new power segment president Amy Davis says.

“We are also excited to build on our strong relationship with Navistar, which dates back 80 years, and work together to lower costs and make hydrogen-powered vehicles more accessible for fleets to adopt.”

The award is one of two Department of Energy grants totalling more than US$7 million to push the development of fuel cell heavy-duty trucks.

The project hopes to achieve performance and total cost of ownership that supports “near-term, rapid, and substantial penetration of the truck markets”. 

This includes development of a solution that is highly manufacturable and scalable with a proven range of 482km or more and improved fuel economy over current heavy-duty trucks.

The powertrain will be integrated into an International RH Series and uses two HyPM HD90 power modules, made up of HD45 fuel cell stacks connected in series. Instead of having a single large fuel cell operate at an inefficient partial load, individual HD45 power modules can be turned on or off to provide adequate power at an efficient full load.

“Cummins is a trusted Navistar partner and collaborating with the company on this project is a milestone in learning integrations surrounding the functionality, adoption and scalability of hydrogen fuel cells as a power source for class 8 vehicles,” Navistar engineering vice president Darren Gosbee says. 

“Hydrogen offers great opportunity in the commercial vehicle sector and we’re proud to be part of the team working to develop a complete solution for customers.”

The prototype fuel cell class 8 truck will ultimately see a year-long field test. The truck will be integrated into Werner Enterprises’ fleet of more than 7700 tractor units and operated in real-world delivery operation out of Fontana, California.