On Wednesday, the nation’s largest natural gas distribution utility, SoCalGas, announced that it is partnering with Hyzon, the Rochester, New York-based developer of hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles, to introduce zero-emission electric utility trucks to its fleet. The partnership aligns with SoCalGas’ plans to replace its over-the-road truck fleet with all electric and fuel cell electric vehicles by 2035. The partnership was announced at this week’s Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Long Beach, California.
Under terms of the agreement, Hyzon will deliver a Class 3 commercial service body utility truck to SoCalGas by 2022. The truck will have a range of 300 miles, with maximum power of 200 KW, and built on SoCalGas’s existing chassis OEM, thus minimizing the updates needed for operations, servicing and training.
“By partnering with Hyzon Motors on this initial hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric utility truck, SoCalGas is showing their commitment to decarbonize their over-the-road fleet. These efforts will go a long way in helping California meet its climate goals,” California Democratic State Senator Bob Archuleta said in a comment on the partnership.
“Our partnership with Hyzon Motors on this initial fuel cell electric truck represents an additional potential solution to help us accelerate our transition to a zero emissions fleet by 2035,” SoCalGas VP of Supply Chain and Operations Support Sandra Hrna said. “The transportation sector accounts for the largest percentage of greenhouse gas emissions in California. The men and women of SoCalGas drive approximately 32 million miles each year in company vehicles and we believe it is our responsibility and focus to decarbonize our over-the-road fleet.”
In April of this year, SoCalGas announced plans to convert 200 Ford F-250 service pick-up trucks to renewable natural gas (RNG) fueling capability. Following the addition of the Hyzon trucks, nearly 40 percent of SoCalGas’ fleet will operate on clean fuels.
The partnership with SoCalGas also marks Hyzon’s first move into the light truck vehicle class sector, which, while new, draws upon prior experience developing hydrogen fuel cell EV commercial vehicles for rugged physical environments like the Australian Outback.
“The fuel cell does not care what it is powering,” said Hyzon CEO Craig Knight. “Since Hyzon’s fuel cell can power up to 154-ton trucks, we can adapt it to support the performance needs of SoCalGas’ fleet.”
“Developing fuel cell-powered utility trucks for commercial applications is a natural expansion of Hyzon Motors’ product offering,” Knight added. “Most of our customers utilize a range of vehicles in their operations. Providing this crucial operations support vehicle to existing customers will streamline fleet transition and procurement and accelerate the shift to a zero-emissions future.”
