As Ford Authority reported last month, a Ford F-550 fuel cell prototype work truck is being developed and tested by both The Blue Oval and SoCalGas in an effort that is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) SuperTruck 3 program, which aims to significantly reduce emissions in medium and heavy-duty trucks. That truck is expected to enter service in 2025, but it won’t be alone, as Ferguson Enterprises has announced that it is also working with FoMoCo to add a Ford F-550 fuel cell prototype truck to its own fleet for a six month trial period.
“As we reviewed emissions from our fleet, we realized our scale in the industry provided us with an opportunity to invest in and test new technologies. Participation in Ford’s F-550 Fuel Cell Prototype Work Truck pilot program will provide further learnings as we work to convert Ferguson’s fleet more efficiently,” said Denise Vaughn, Ferguson Vice President – Environmental, Social, and Governance. “Ultimately Ferguson’s investment in new technologies will set the industry standard for private fleet conversion, driving an expansion of the country’s refueling infrastructure.”
As is the case with the SoCalGas pilot, this particular effort is designed to accomplish two tasks – to evaluate how fuel cell technology operates within the Ferguson fleet while also providing real-world usage data to Ford. Ferguson will provide Ford with vehicle data and feedback about the technology to help the automaker better define the engineering requirements for commercial vehicle duty cycles. This data will be used to address ongoing industry challenges within the medium-duty and heavy-duty segments, like battery range and payload capacity that make current EV technology unviable.
“While the industry continues to evolve and has made great strides, there remain critical challenges that require urgent consideration to facilitate real progress,” said Thurman Register III, Ferguson’s Senior Fleet Manager. “Fleets cannot delay deployment of cleaner fuel technology based on their current vehicle retention and replacement strategies. Future industry success is driven by companies like Ferguson investing and collaborating with OEM partners to build solutions that improve the environment without disrupting business. Our collective work addresses multiple industry issues and drives the commercial fleet industry quickly towards a more sustainable future.”
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Comments
Wonder how it will make out compared to the attempts to do fuel cells in cars and farm tractors back in the late 1950’s. Apparently the concept never took off back because fuels were so cheap. And maybe the better control system of today will help make the idea work better.
Ford should have a distinct look to the fuel cell vehicles they try out. It would boost respect if people knew they weren’t going all electric like GMC for trucks.
are the ballard fuel cell stacks in the ford test trucks