Industrial and specialty gases supplier Airgas has signed an agreement with zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell powered commercial vehicles supplier Hyzon Motors to pilot two heavy duty hydrogen fuel cell trucks, including one 100 kW fuel cell truck and the first Hyzon 200 kW hydrogen fuel cell powered truck to be tested commercially.

These two trucks will be the first heavy duty hydrogen fuel cell powered trucks within the Air Liquide Group globally and are slated to be tested in various cylinder delivery routes in the Los Angeles, California area says Airgas risk management and corporate responsibility director Brian Jones.

He adds that the Hyzon Motors 100 kW fuel cell truck that Airgas will pilot will be on display at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California between May 9 and May 12 this year.

“We are proud to be one of the first to pilot heavy duty hydrogen fuel cell trucks as we look to continuously lower carbon emissions and increase our use of clean fuel alternative vehicles in our fleet on the Air Liquide path to carbon neutrality by 2050.”

Jones mentions that Hyzon’s 200 kW hydrogen fuel cell powered truck, the most powerful fuel cell Hyzon has deployed, will begin testing at Airgas in the fall of 2022.

“Through Hyzon’s Repower program, these vehicles are upcycled from existing diesel trucks, with Hyzon’s proprietary fuel cell system, electric drivetrain, and lightweight hydrogen storage design.”

He highlights that Hyzon vehicles offer similar payloads, performance and refuelling time to diesel - and water vapour is the only by-product. By providing end-to-end solutions, Hyzon helps operators transition their fleets without having to modify daily operations.

Hyzon Motors US business development head Cory Shumaker added that Hyzon is leading the transition to zero emissions by providing hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles with leading fuel cell technology.

“Hyzon vehicles are built to suit demanding applications, including ultra-heavy freight, construction, refuse collection, perishable deliveries and public transit. It’s all done without challenging the already strained electricity grids – in the US and globally,” he concludes.