The first two fuel cell electric heavy duty Class 8 trucks built under the Zero and Near Zero Emissions Freight Forwarding (ZANZEFF) project sponsored by the state of California are preparing for delivery to demonstration fleet customers.
Toyota Logistics Services and Southern Counties Express each will receive a Kenworth T680 Class 8 truck powered by a Toyota fuel cell electric drivetrain. Both of these zero-emissions trucks will be used for drayage operations.
“We have been involved with Toyota’s hydrogen truck project since the beginning and we are excited to see the latest models now being released for further testing,” says Gordon Reimer, president, Southern Counties Express. “We are proud to be associated with the Toyota research and development team and look forward to the continued progress of this technology.”
An additional eight trucks will be delivered in 2021 as part of the ZANZEFF program. Three of the eight trucks will go to United Parcel Service for its port operations while two of the eight trucks will go to Total Transportation Services. Toyota Logistics Services will receive three additional trucks.
“After extensive testing with our proof-of-concept prototypes, we’re ready for the next step of putting more trucks into drayage operations,” says Andrew Lund, chief engineer, Toyota Research and Development. “Moving toward emissions-free trucks is more important than ever, and the ZANZEFF project has been instrumental in getting us closer to that goal.”
Development of the Kenworth T680 FCEV is part of a $41 million ZANZEFF grant awarded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), with the Port of Los Angeles as the prime applicant. CARB has awarded those funds to the Port of Los Angeles for the ZANZEFF project as part of California Climate Investments, a California initiative that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment, according to an announcement.
“The port is currently engaged in 16 different zero-emission demonstration projects to support development of on-road trucks that we expect will help bring feasible zero-emission technology to the marketplace,” says Chris Cannon, Port of Los Angeles chief sustainability officer.
“Conversion of the port drayage fleet to zero-emission technology involves tremendous financial investment and will take the collaboration and commitment of many stakeholders — both public and private — to create a viable market for zero-emissions drayage technology. We are proud of our continuing partnership under this project to deploy these trucks as an important step in verifying the capabilities and role of hydrogen fuel cell technology in the path to zero emissions,” Cannon says.
