Overdrive

34 | Overdrive | July 2017 JUMP START While there are no Class 8 hydrogen- powered vehicles on the road today, Ryder's new partnership with the Workhorse Group, which makes the W-15 Electric Pickup Truck, "will allow us to begin developing capabilities on different electric-drive platforms," put- ting in place "training on high-voltage systems," Perry says. That's already happening today via company servicing of refrigeration systems, such as Carrier's dual-voltage- optional Vector reefer product line. Toyota is testing a similar hydrogen- electric technology this summer in dray- age operations at Los Angeles-area ports. "Project Portal," as the company calls the test, isn't an entrance into the Class 8 market, says Tak Yokoo, Toyota senior engineer. "It's a proof of concept to test the scalability of our fuel cell technology." Opting to test its fuel cells in a Class 8 heavy-duty environment will show- case the technology's ability to perform on the largest of scales and in demand- ing applications, Yokoo says. The Project Portal tractors only have about a 200-mile range, but that's plenty for the California drayage tests, he says. Like Nikola's system, the Project Portal truck uses onboard hydrogen to generate electric power. Toyota essen- tially stacked fuel cells used in its Mirai hydrogen-electric sedan, unveiled in 2015, to power the rig. It built the pow- ertrain into a Kenworth T660 glider kit. Tesla, an electric car pioneer spear- headed by technology billionaire Elon Musk, plans to unveil an electric rig in late September. Details are sparse, but the Tesla truck is expected to operate similarly to its electric car counterpart, via a battery-powered engine. The trucks will depend on charging stations, many likely built by Tesla. "We've shown it to a number of the organizations that buy heavy-duty truck- ing, and they all love it," Musk said at the June 6 annual Tesla shareholders meeting in Mountain View, California. "They just want to know how many can they buy and how soon." Tesla has involved potential fleet customers in the truck's design, he said, "helping ensure that it's specified to their needs." "This is something which people do not today think is possible," said Musk in May. "They think the truck doesn't have enough power or it doesn't have enough range. With the Tesla semi, we want to show that an electric truck actually can out-torque any diesel semi." Morgan Stanley financial analysts presumed in a report that Tesla may offer battery leases paid for by truck owners, possibly at 25 cents a mile. The report also envisioned battery swap- ping stations, in which a driver would exchange a depleted battery for a charged one. The truck will be "very spry," Musk said. "You could drive this around like a sports car." The company declined Overdrive's request for an interview. - Aaron Huff, Max Heine and Jeff Crissey contributed to these stories To develop its hydrogen-electric Class 8 unit, Toyota put fuel cells used in its Mirai hydrogen-electric sedan into a Kenworth T660 glider. The truck is being tested in California port drayage operations.

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