Kenworth's Hydrogen Fuel Cell T680 day cab at the Port of Seattle. Photo: Kenworth

Kenworth showed a zero-emissions T680 day cab equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell as part of its Paccar Innovations booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

This is the first time Paccar and Kenworth have exhibited at CES, an electronics industry trade show with an eye on future technologies and innovations that draws in close to 200,000 visitors. Kenworth's zero-emissions project was announced in May 2017 and is part of the Zero Emission Cargo Transport demonstration project managed through Southern California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District.

The Kenworth T680 day cab’s fuel cell combines compressed hydrogen gas and air to produce electricity with only water vapor emitted at the tailpipe. This electricity can power the dual-rotor electric motor to move the truck, or it can recharge the lithium-ion batteries for use later. The hybrid drive system manages the power from the fuel cell to and from the batteries, as well as the traction motors and other components, such as the electrified power steering and brake air compressor.

“Kenworth’s hydrogen fuel-cell T680 is a reality,” said Stephan Olsen, Kenworth director of product planning. “The T680 has been running trials in the Seattle area and performing very well. The next step is real-world testing with Total Transportation Services Inc. at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in Southern California.”

The truck will intitially have a range of 150 miles and is designed for short haul and port operations. The truck's electric motor can output 565 horsepower and is capable of carrying Class 8 loads.

“Our testing shows that this truck performs equally as well, if not better than, current diesel trucks on the market,” said Olsen. “There is a lot of promise, and we see the day where Kenworth’s zero and near-zero emission trucks could be a common sight in regional operations. Kenworth is heavily focused on the evaluation and development of both zero and near-zero emission solutions for the trucking industry.”

To develop the hydrogen-based T680, Kenworth used $2.8 million in funding under a larger grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, with Southern California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District being the prime applicant. Project oversight is provided by the Center for Transportation and the Environment. Kenworth is also working on a second project under the larger program for DOE and SCAQMD to develop a near-zero emission-capable T680 day cab using a near-zero natural gas engine and generator to extend the battery range.