Photo: Toyota
Toyota may soon be positioned to make two leaps in a single bound. In rolling out its hydrogen-fueled “Project Portal” tractor unit, the company expands beyond the size of existing trucks offered through its Hino brand. The impetus for leapfrogging to a trailer-hauling unit derives from Toyota’s need to make the most of its investment into hydrogen fuel-cell technology for passenger cars like the finally-released-for-real Mirai. The “Portal” language stems from the unit’s initially projected range of only about 200 miles in normal drayage service.
Photo: Toyota
Company officials at Toyota’s April 19 launch promised to use the trucks as part of a feasibility study in and around the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, as well as on short hauls throughout the basin (especially to the intermodal rail yards in Vernon). Daily hauls in this type of service would be unlikely to exceed 200 miles. Operation is virtually silent; while emissions consist solely of pure H2O.
Photo: Hino Trucks
Toyota’s popular and well-regarded Hino trucks are currently limited to light- and medium-duty versions (GVWs from about 15,000 to 35,000 lbs) in either conventional or cabover configurations. Typical applications include box trucks, landscaper units, bucket lift platforms, large shuttle vans, and single tankers. Brand badging on the heavy-duty (up to 80,000 GVW) “Project Portal” trucks is pointedly obscure at the moment.
Photo: Arroyo Trucking
The twin ports at LA and Long Beach now permit only Certified Clean Idle units (when diesel-powered) to make pick-ups and deliveries around the docks, almost exclusively in the form of containerized goods. The clean idle designation and accompanying sticker apply to diesel vehicles of model year 2008 or newer equipped with diesel particulate filters. Nonetheless, no idling beyond five minutes is allowed in California, including idling for sleeper berth use. In fact, even school buses must shut down within 30 seconds of arrival. Independents and small fleet operators have objected to the implementation timeline, but the rule stands [https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/truck-idling/factsheet.pdf]. Some exceptions apply.
Photo: John Malmin/LA Times; 1955
As part of a broader push for clean-air technologies, these vehicles and their kin have helped push down smog alerts in LA-area communities by up to 95% since the mid-1950’s. In 1978, southern Californians suffered 23 days with second-stage smog alerts that called for industrial shutdowns and the suspension of after-school sports [Washington Post; Jan. 1, 1985]. Subsequent years have seen sharp reductions in Stage 1 days, while Stage 2 days have become as rare as snake toes. University of Southern California scientists note that children in the region are breathing better than they did in 1994, and that the percentage of kids with abnormally poor lung function has dropped by more than half since then [National Geographic; Mar. 4, 2015].
Photo: TFC Recycling
Other technologies, like compressed natural gas (CNG), have long been making inroads in light-to-medium duty and municipal applications. Auto drivers certainly experience far less soot, odor, and noxious emissions when following these vehicles down surface streets as they make their rounds.
Photo: Toyota
A prominent reason for limiting the “Project Portal” test rigs to local runs is the fact that fuel cells and associated equipment consume most of the space that a sleeper cab would normally occupy. (Which renders somewhat fanciful Toyota’s supplied cutaway image of a tractor-trailer motoring across Utah.) In Western states at least, this drawback could be potentially overcome by increasing the tractor’s wheelbase, though the overall length would still count against state-imposed limits and eat into paying cargo volume. Toyota expects its hydrogen-powered trucks to be priced competitively with gasoline models if and when H2-only trucks reach the retail market. [Daily Breeze; Apr. 20, 2017]
Photo: Toyota
And, judging from a quick peek at some of the advance publicity photos, it seems that sheer complexity could become an issue as miles pile up and heavy overhaul service intervals begin rearing their heads. I’m no Jimmy-jammer, and I still find even automatic transmissions to be unnecessarily complicated, but the about only things familiar to me in the above photo are a big electric motor and a fluid reservoir. Wow.
Photo: Toyota
Toyota’s surprise announcement came less than a week after Tesla’s ever-optimistic CEO Elon Musk tweeted that his company has an electric truck set to be unveiled in September.
Musk’s tweet led at least one Wall Street analyst to downgrade shares of heavy-truck maker PACCAR and diesel-engine giant Cummins, based on concerns that Tesla could emerge as a dominant player in the market for zero-emission heavy trucks. The Tesla truck would likely be battery-electric; forgoing hydrogen power for the near future at least. Still, Musk has yet to show his truck, much less explain how, when, or in what factory it would be built. Toyota has now officially fired a shot across his bow. [Motley Fool; Apr. 20, 2017].
Photo: Toyota
And, just like how the butcher used to wrap up an extra bone for your dog, I thought I’d throw in this short-bed beauty for those CCer’s who grew up thinking Hi-Lux!, whenever “Toyota” and “truck” were used in the same sentence.
I could imagine hydrogen for long-haul trucking eventually, since it’s not inconceivable for a chain of truck stops to get hydrogen refueling capability. Unlike cars, long-haul trucks call at truck stops frequently.
But 200-mile range per day for a semi tractor is surely within today’s electric vehicle technology. Tesla wouldn’t bother with less. Electric recharging is already widely available and would be much cheaper to install at truck stops than hydrogen refueling. As with Toyota’s hydrogen car, I really don’t see the point.
Of all of the alternatives, I think battery electric is the easiest to implement., especially for urban vehicles. A battery doesn’t “care” how you generate the electrical current (coal,gas,oil,nuclear,solar, Martian fairy dust…). Implementation of a voltage/amperage and connector standard seems easier than having multiple distribution systems for multiple types of fuel at the user level.
I agree that battery electric is probably the most viable option, but improved charging and better energy density would be nice. I believe that will come sooner rather than later though.
Hydrogen as a fuel makes me somewhat uneasy. Aside from the fundamental problems with storage and distribution, it worries me that the momentum behind the hydrogen fuel industry is fueled by (sorry!) the desire to replicate the petrol/oil/gasoline distribution oligopoly. That’s in sharp contrast to the existing, and thoroughly democratised electricity generation distribution network.
Long-haul trucking? 200 miles at a clip? Sorry, that is crazy. Long-haul usually is defined in the industry as 1000 miles or more. Most diesel tractors can do that with one stop. Having to stop five times on one trip to charge up or whatever you call it makes this too time-consuming. Make it a cross-country run by a TL wildcat who has to stop 15 or 16 times between LA and New England…you’d be laughed off the road.
I can see this for strictly local-run LTL deliveries within a city or area, but long-haul…forget about it at today’s level of technology development. With the increased maintenance costs, forcing this on the industry would bankrupt almost all the carriers. ABF Freight System is the only carrier I know of which HASN’T been in bankruptcy since rates were partially deregulated back in the 1980s. Getting loads terminal-to-terminal as quickly as possible is what keeps carriers operating. Keep doing everything you can to slow down transit runs, and costs will skyrocket.
That bit about long-haulers stopping frequently is a laugher. The industry is rife with stories about drivers who supposedly carried two sets of logs so they could stay on the road longer than they’re allowed to by law. Tractors are most efficient when, once having gotten up to speed, they STAY at speed for as long as possible. Lastly, a tractor pulling a 30,000 lb. 53-footer takes a ton of torque to get moving, which will drain any electric vehicle batteries or H2 fuel cells like crazy.
If you “don’t see the point,” you’ve never been in the industry.
To clarify, I’m saying that I can imagine hydrogen for long-haul trucking, which I know is all day without stopping. Presumably a bigger H2 tank is cheaper than a thousand miles worth of batteries. Setting up H2 fueling at truck stops is much cheaper than H2 at every local gas station. Trucks pass by truck stops frequently and stop daily, so the refueling network would be available. The average car passes by a truck stop a lot less often, never for most.
But this “Project Portal” truck only has 200 mile range, for local work. That can certainly be handled with an electric drivetrain, probably cheaper and certainly simpler and more reliably than hydrogen. I don’t see the point of a hydrogen truck with only 200 mile range.
By the way, either battery-powered or fuel-cell powered, electric motors can have tons of torque, and the torque is available from zero rpm right across the speed range. That’s why locomotives use them to drive their wheels.
Very interesting, thanks! For short-haul daily duties this seems good if 200 miles really is the normal round trip distance, as does Tesla’s truck assuming that can be charged overnight again. A Cab-Over design would reduce the footprint back down again, it seems like everything “could” be packaged without a hood up front
Another obvious application would be school buses which pretty much drive around at defined times for predictable distances and end up parked a lot waiting for the next morning… There really is no reason for them to be belching diesel fumes and space for either the hydrogen units or batteries could easily be allocated under the floor or towards the back.
Funny you should mention school buses (I agree completely). This cartoon is in last week’s New Yorker.
The freight industry runs 24/7 with trucks being double shifted there is no overnite downtime for recharging, its a concept from a non industry point of view.
Only a small percentage of long-haul trucks in the US are double-shifted, and almost only if it’s a highly-perishable or other time-sensitive cargo . Most do stop overnight.
I am with you Paul on the only thing recognizable under the hood being the electric motor and brake reservoir. That motor looks like the one that runs the planer at the shop I work at. It requires 600 amps on start up. I hope they have a decent battery or generator for getting up to speed on the highway or big hills.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the Nikola. It’s also hydrogen fuel cell but claims an 800 to 1200 range. It supposedly will come with 1m miles of free hydrogen, and has other things like torque vectoring.
Sounds pretty interesting, but you have to wonder if it’s vaporware.
https://nikolamotor.com/one
No brake fluid reservoir on trucks, they employ full air operated braking systems no fluids involved. a 200/320 km range is going to mean lots of stops for refueling compared to diesel power the clean idea is a good one, but more suited to metropolitan work than linehaul. Hino is a fairly popular Japanese truck brand here but in cabover we dont seem to have any conventionals now.
Technically speaking, air is a fluid. But we know what you meant. 😛
Thanks. Fixed.
“…..long haul trucks call at truck stops frequently.”
Are you sure about that? I figured one of the things that made a “long haul” truck, long haul, was the 2 huge fuel tanks that allowed it to go several hundred miles without the need to stop. 500 to 700 miles without refueling isn’t all that unheard of.
I meant daily. Thanks.
trucks are used in very different settings; some only operate extremely short distances (drayage), others in fairly short metropolitan distribution/delivery., other in regional, and others of course in long haul. So what may work readily in one setting will not so readily in another.
Electric trucks are coming for sure, and obviously the first logical settings are drayage and urban distribution/delivery. I strongly believe that batteries make more sense than fuel cells, for the same reason that they do in cars. This is an attempt to put the Mirai’s fuel cell technology to some other use, as the Mira has been a total sales flop.
Hydrogen for longer haul trucks faces the same huge hurdle as it does for cars: there’s no fueling infrastructure. it will be much easier to set up battery charging stations than hydrogen refueling stations.
Drastically higher-powered charging stations are on the way, which will allow charging times to drop very substantially. getting an 80% recharge in 15 minutes or less is just around the corner.
Tesla is unveiling their Tesla Semi in September. It will be very interesting to see just what approach they take. There’s lots of speculation. In any case, the possibilities for shorter-medium range trucks is considerable, and the lower fuel costs are very compelling. The electrification of other transport forms will just as interesting to observe as it is in cars; for me, anyway.
The move towards more on-line shopping is creating much greater demand for regional trucking; it’s the biggest area of growth. This involves lots of urban driving, congestion, etc. It is in this arena that the application of electric trucks will have their greatest early potential. Long haul trucking will undoubtedly not be so ripe for that transition for some time to come.
trucks.com covers the field very well.
I don’t want to guess at these numbers (and I’m too lazy to look them up!) but I would guess that the number of highway truck stops is orders of magnitude smaller than the number of corner gas stations for cars.
It stands to reason, then, that rolling out a new fueling infrastructure (hydrogen, electricity, whatever) for long-haul trucks is orders of magnitude cheaper than doing the same for passenger cars.
I’m old enough to remember the days when owning a Diesel-powered passenger car meant the driver was mostly fueling at truck stops, because “gas stations” simply didn’t have Diesel pumps.
Looking forward to seeing how this works out. Working as a driver/dispatcher for an LTL (less than truckload=many little shipments per truck load=more revenue per load) freight transport company myself where the loads are generally lighter, I could see this application be beneficial if a longer wheelbase truck were to be necessary. This married with the allowance of spring and summer long combination vehicles of two 53, 48, or 28s in any combination (aka LCV’s here in BC, Canada otherwise known as turnpike doubles/rocky mtn dbls or “21st century a-trains”) and this could certainly be doable. Need more range, just use one of the trailers as a large battery or fuel or hydrogen production source.
Very interesting indeed.
Close-up of the hood emblem.
Wow… and the guys griped when the old manually actuated shut-down control went electric. haha
I can say that the prominently placed electric motor drives the compressor, for brake and chassis air.
Besides that and a few common truck components, I’m out.
I wonder about the drive motor(s)?
Drive through conventional final drive(s) or proprietary electric drive axles?
Both axles drive or just one?
Cab HVAC?
The steer axle looks light, very light.
Thanks, Ex, for the write up.
My pleasure. Also, in reply to kiwibryce, I suppose it might be coolant or washer fluid, or maybe super-Astro hydrojuice. But there appear to be two of them.
Its not a fluid colour I recognize sorry, and Ive recently been driving Japanese trucks Isuzus though not Hinos.
Pink is the usual color of Toyota “long life” coolant, and I’m sure there’s coolant recirculating somewhere in this power train. That’s my guess … a coolant tank.
“Pink is the usual color of Toyota “long life” coolant, and I’m sure there’s coolant recirculating somewhere in this power train. That’s my guess … a coolant tank.”
You’re probably right, Dman.
The air compressor requires circulating liquid coolant and probably the cab’s heater core too.
That’s not a Toyota, that’s a Kenworth 🙂 So now in addition to PACCAR, Cat and Cummins power you’ll be able to get Toyota power.
As far as I know Caterpillar stopped building diesel engines for heavy US on-highway trucks several years ago. Or are they back in business ?
Are Detroit Diesel engines available for other brands than Freightliner ? (Given the fact that Daimler owns both Detroit Diesel and Freightliner)
I remember from my old truck magazines and books that brands like Kenworth and Peterbilt had a DD, Cat or Cummins engine.
Great idea for local deliveries, I’m only wondering about the weird layout occupying the space of an entire sleeper berth. Can’t you simply put the hydrogen tanks in the same place where the diesel tanks would normally be? And the fuel cell inbetween the frame now that the driveshaft is gone and the electric motors sit directly at the wheels? I mean, they build fuel cell cars the size of normal cars, why not fuel cell semi trucks the size of normal semi trucks?