Tuesday 17 October 2017
Toyota is trialling new hydrogen trucks to transport freight around the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The vehicle and technology manufacturer's Project Portal is a hydrogen fuel cell system designed for heavy-duty hauling use.
The zero-emission concept vehicle has successfully driven more than 4,000 trial miles, pulling large amounts of cargo and emitting nothing but water vapour.
A larger test, involving moving goods from the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach terminals to surrounding rail yards and warehouses for distribution, will begin on October 23rd.
It’s estimated the truck’s daily trips will total around 200 miles. The manufacturer aims to study the fuel cycle capabilities of the system, capture real world performance data and eventually introduce longer haul routes.
Toyota says the clean vehicles will hopefully increase air quality at the ports, where heavy duty vehicles make up a significant percentage of the area's annual emissions output.