As Ford Authority reported back in August, utility provider SoCalGas is teaming up with The Blue Oval to develop a Ford F-550 Super Duty prototype hydrogen fuel cell truck as 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. It isn’t alone in that venture, as the utility company and Ferguson Enterprises will both test the hydrogen-powered Ford Super Duty in real-world conditions, providing feedback to FoMoCo along the way. However, details on this new program were a bit scant, until now, as a supplier called Plastic Omnium has announced its role in this process.
Plastic Omnium will develop and provide Ford with 700-bar type-IV Hydrogen High Pressure Vessels to equip its hydrogen Ford F-550 Super Duty demonstrator fleet and generate real-life data for zero-emission trucks in the medium-duty sector by the end of 2023. These trucks will be tested in a variety of configurations, including trucks equipped with lift buckets for working on power and telecom lines. Plastic Omnium will manage the development of these trucks in the U.S. and will produce the Hydrogen Vessels in its factory in Adrian, Michigan, on an all-new manufacturing line.
The idea is to create zero-emissions medium-duty vehicles as all-electric technology just isn’t quite up to the task at the moment, largely due to these vehicles’ high payload capacity and the need for 24/7 uptime in many cases. On the flip side, using a 700 bar hydrogen storage system range and fast fill capability is an ideal way to reduce emissions while also retaining the usability of a traditional ICE vehicle in that regard.
“The U.S. Department of Energy’s SuperTruck 3 funding aims to expand the development of electric vehicle infrastructure and is a major boost for the hydrogen and zero-emission mobility markets,” said John Dunn, Plastic Omnium New Energies President & CEO, Americas. “Plastic Omnium’s expertise in hydrogen, along with our strong relationship with Ford in North America, gives us a unique opportunity to support this project and grow with the market thanks to our new U.S. based manufacturing.”
We’ll have more on these new hydrogen-powered medium-duty trucks soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-Series news, Ford Super Duty news, and continuous Ford news coverage.
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WE SHOULD BE PUSHING HYDROGEN FOR ALL VEHICLES. MOST OF THE NATIONS FLEET COULD BE CONVERTED TO RUN ON HYDROGEN. ELECTRIC CARS WILL NOT LAST! THE COMPONENTS TO MAKE BATTERIES IS FAR MORE EXPENSIVE AND US TONS OFF FOSSIL FUEL TO PRODUCE! AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THE BURNT OUT BATTERIES. ITS FRICKING PIPE DREAM