HydrogenFuelCell
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Pizza Hut's hydrogen delivery truck hauls a robotic kitchen
Pizza Hut will not be outdone in the pursuit of over-the-top delivery vehicles. The restaurant chain has teamed up with Toyota to unveil the Tundra Pie Pro, a concept hydrogen fuel cell truck that not only cooks pizzas, but uses a pair of robot arms to move them along the line. The mechanical limbs fetch pre-assembled pizzas, bake them, slice them and slide them into boxes all on their own -- they'll even ring a bell to let you know your meal is ready.
Hyundai's Nexo fuel cell SUV hits California dealers by end of 2018
Hyundai's second-generation hydrogen fuel cell car will soon be more than just a trade show darling. The automaker has formally introduced the 2019 Nexo SUV ahead of its late 2018 launch in the US, complete with details on its trim levels and availability at dealerships. The vehicle is only confirmed to be coming to two southern California dealerships by the end of 2018 (Van Nuys' Keyes Hyundai as well as Tustin Hyundai), with San Jose's Capitol Hyundai due in early 2019. The upshot? You might get more car than you were expecting.
Toyota's latest hydrogen-powered semi boasts 300-mile range
Toyota has made a lot of progress on its hydrogen fuel cell semi truck since unveiling the Alpha model in 2017. The automaker has unveiled a Beta version of its Project Portal semi that promises huge improvements. For one, the zero-emissions vehicle now drives 300 miles on a hydrogen tank instead of roughly 200 -- rather important if it's going to be hauling cargo all day. It's also more maneuverable, and manages to create more cab space (including a sleeper cab) thanks in part to a "unique fuel cabinet combination."
Hyundai and Audi team up on hydrogen fuel cell technology
Hyundai and Audi have reached a deal that will allow the two to share their hydrogen car technology, Reuters reports. Both companies will have access to the other's intellectual property and they'll share components, with the goal being to push hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles into the mainstream. So far, they've lagged behind battery EVs, which are currently cheaper and benefit from more charging stations.
Anheuser-Busch will haul beer in Nikola hydrogen-electric trucks
The rivalry between Nikola and Tesla is only getting hotter... figuratively speaking. Mere months after ordering 40 Tesla Semis, Anheuser-Busch has ordered "up to" 800 of Nikola's hydrogen-electric semi-trucks to introduce them into its beer-carrying fleet starting in 2020. The deal should help Anheuser-Busch convert its entire long-haul roster to renewable-based trucks by 2025 and will be equivalent to taking over 13,000 cars off the road. As to why it's not just relying on Tesla? One word: range.
Hyundai's self-driving fuel cell cars complete a record highway trip
Future self-driving cars don't have to be pure electric vehicles, and Hyundai is determined to prove it. The automaker just had a five-strong fleet of Level 4 autonomous hydrogen fuel cars drive themselves 118 miles from Seoul to the Winter Olympics' home venue of Pyeongchang. That's the longest any self-driving vehicle has traveled at highway speeds (around 62-68MPH), the company claimed. Previously, they had to putt around at slower speeds, and frequently on limited road sections.
Toyota plans to offer more than 10 EV models by the early 2020s
Toyota recently hinted that it was finally ready to embrace pure electric cars, and now we have a better sense of what that commitment entails. The automaker has outlined its goals for low- and zero-emission cars in the next decade, and it expects to field "more than 10" EVs worldwide by the early 2020s, starting with China before spreading to markets like Europe, Japan and the US. And by 2025, every Toyota and Lexus will either be EV-only or have an electrified option like a hybrid or hydrogen fuel cell.
Daimler and HPE want to power green data centers with hydrogen
Hydrogen fuel cells have mainly been used to power vehicles so far, but they could soon find another use: the server farms powering your internet services. Daimler, HPE, Power Innovations and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory are expanding fuel cell use to "micro-grids" inside data centers. Solar and wind power would provide the bulk of the energy, but fuel cells would fill in the gap when power demand is too high or an outage leaves no other choice. Companies wouldn't have to rely quite so heavily on diesel generators or other not-so-eco-friendly backups to cope with demand. And unlike battery backups, there's no limit -- the fuel cell can keep running as long as there's hydrogen.
Toyota’s fuel-cell big rigs are ready to haul cargo
After completing 4,000 "development" miles at the port of Los Angeles, Toyota's Project Portal hydrogen fuel-cell big rig is ready to start transporting cargo from that port and the one in Long Beach to rail yards and warehouses beginning on October 23.
Chevy is building a hydrogen fuel-cell transport vehicle for the Army
Chevy's venture into working with the Army on alternative-fuel vehicles isn't stopping with the Colorado ZH2. No, the pair are pushing forward with the Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure (SURUS) that takes the ZH2's hydrogen fuel cell power plant and mates it with what Defense One describes as a "flatbed truck trailer or even a railroad flatcar." The idea behind SURUS -- named for Hannibal's war elephants -- is to be an adaptable form of transport that can do anything from carrying injured troops to moving large amounts of cargo like diesel-powered generators in the theater of war.
Mercedes-Benz aims to take hydrogen fuel-cells mainstream
General Motors' confidence in hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) vehicles seems to be sparking something of a renaissance among other automakers. In April, Toyota announced it was testing a HFC semi truck, and now Mercedes has announced a hybrid crossover utility vehicle that combines the pricey alternative-fuel tech with something a little less exotic: a battery-powered electric vehicle. The GLC F-Cell will carry 4.4 kilograms of hydrogen onboard, in addition to its 147 kilowatt lithium-ion battery. The automaker says that the the F-Cell's range can hit 437 kilometers (roughly 271 miles) with a governed top speed of 99 MPH, and that it'll charge in about 1.5 hours.
Prototype Genesis SUV melds hydrogen and plug-in power
It hasn't even been two years since Hyundai spun out its Genesis luxury badge as a separate division, but the new group is already making a name for itself. Genesis has unveiled its first experimental SUV, the GV80 Concept, and the prototype clearly pushes a few boundaries. For one, it's a plug-in fuel cell hybrid. The company isn't talking performance figures at this point, but the combination of electric and hydrogen power promises zero-emissions driving while still delivering a healthy range.
Hydrogen-powered forklifts could speed up your Amazon deliveries
Amazon will replace its forklifts' batteries in 11 warehouses with an alternative power source: hydrogen fuel cells (HFC). The e-retail giant is investing millions in the technology, acquiring the right to buy up to 23 percent of hydrogen fuel cell maker Plug Power. In a press release, Plug Power has revealed that the tech titan will spend $70 million this year on hydrogen fueling infrastructure, the fuel itself and fuel cells for forklifts and for backup power.
The Army could save hydrogen cars from a premature death
Over the past 25 years, hydrogen fuel cells (HFC) have been the butt of countless jokes in the automotive industry. Many critics see the technology as something long in the works that will never have a future. It's seen some spotty progress over the past decade, existing alongside compressed natural gas vehicles. But in terms of public perception, HFCs are still on the fringe compared with plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. In 2016, the Los Angeles Times reported that Toyota expected to sell 3,000 of its $60,000 Mirai sedans by the end of 2017 -- and that was an optimistic forecast, mind you. In contrast, Tesla racked up over 232,000 preorders for its all-electric Model 3 sedan in just 24 hours, and Toyota crossed 3.9 million in global sales for the Prius in February.
Honda's next-gen Clarity hydrogen cars land in California
Honda has delivered the first hydrogen-powered Clarity fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) to dealers in Torrance, California, home of the automaker's US campus. Approved buyers can take one home on a lease for $2,868 down and $369 a month for three years, a price that includes 20,000 miles per year and up to $15,0000 of hydrogen fuel.
Nikola unveils its hydrogen-powered semi-truck
It's not just passenger vehicles that are moving away from gasoline, big rigs are also saying goodbye to fossil fuels. In Salt Lake City today the hydrogen-powered Nikola One long haul truck was unveiled. According to the truck maker, the semi will be in production and ready to transport goods in 2020.
London Mayor commits to greener bus fleet
As part of ongoing efforts to curb pollution in the capital, London Mayor Sadiq Khan today announced that all new single-decker buses for the centre of town will be zero-emissions vehicles, and that no more pure diesel double-deckers will be added to the network from 2018. At an event today, Khan also showed off the "world's first" hydrogen fuel cell double-decker, which will be trialled in the capital next year. In total, 20 of these buses -- which are hydrogen/electric hybrids -- will eventually be added to the fleet.
Chevy truck brings hydrogen fuel cells to the military
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles aren't just for eco-conscious civilian drivers. Chevy has unveiled the Colorado ZH2, an experimental truck designed to test the feasibility of fuel cells in the military. Its powerplant is much quieter and cooler-running than a conventional gas motor, making it ideal for special ops where conventional trucks would blow your cover. However, its real specialty doesn't involve driving at all -- you can use the modular cell to power devices outside the truck with up to 25kW of continuous electricity. A squad could run equipment while camped out in mid-mission, for example.
ICYMI: All aboard the hydrogen fuel cell train!
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A French company just introduced a hydrogen fuel cell train that it plans to install on a line in Germany in 2017. The train can carry 300 passengers reaching speeds of 87 miles an hour, all while emitting water rather than the usual diesel fumes that go along with such routes. We think the Casper insomnia chatbot is probably just a PR stunt by the company, but it may also be functional so you're guess is as good as ours as to why a mattress company would want to talk about people (likely their own customers) who struggle with going to sleep at night. If you're interested, the truck clock video is here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Hydrogen fuel cell train offers pollution-free rail trips
Hydrogen fuel cells aren't gaining a huge amount of traction in cars, where there's a steady move toward electric. But what about regional railways, where long ranges and a lack of powered rails makes electric trains impractical? Alstom thinks that makes plenty of sense -- the French firm has introduced one of the first hydrogen fuel cell trains, the Coradia iLint. The 300-passenger locomotive can travel up to 497 miles at a reasonably brisk 87 miles per hour, all the while spewing nothing more than water. Hydrogen gives it the freedom to run on non-electrified rails, and it's considerably quieter than diesels -- helped in part by batteries that store unused energy.
