The California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) released a new foundational document for heavy-duty class 8 fuel cell electric trucks (FCETs), “Fuel Cell Electric Trucks: A Vision for Freight Movement in California and Beyond,” that envisions 70,000 trucks supported by 200 heavy-duty truck stations by 2035.

The vision emphasizes the need for policies that unlock and accelerate private investment to achieve this interim step towards a larger goal of 100% zero-emission trucks by 2045.

Getting to a zero-emission future requires the partnership of government and industry, and the utilization of every tool at our disposal. At Hyundai-Kia, we know that battery and fuel cell electric technologies are needed to meet the diverse needs of our customers.

—Jerome Gregeois, Director Commercial Vehicles Development at Hyundai-Kia and chair of the CaFCP board of directors

The vision emphasizes the need for both battery and fuel cell electric vehicle technologies, and that “to truly realize a successful 100% zero-emission transition requires the unique capabilities of FCETs.”

Heavy-duty trucks represent only 2% of vehicles on California roads, yet these hundreds of thousands of trucks generate more than 9% of the State’s greenhouse gas emissions, 32% of its nitrogen oxides, and 3% of its particulate emissions.

The successful rollout of heavy-duty, zero-emission trucks requires the interplay of several key elements. In the case of FCETs, that includes synchronizing vehicle rollout with hydrogen fueling infrastructure, and renewable and zero-carbon hydrogen production.

—Joe Cappello, CEO of Iwatani Corporation of America and vice chair of CaFCP

With the right policy mechanisms in place, the vision foresees a self-sustaining market by 2035. The draft of a California Air Resources Board report concludes that a self-sufficient light-duty fuel cell passenger car fueling network is possible, suggesting the same can happen for heavy-duty fuel cell trucks.

The release of the vision document comes on the heels of the California Air Resources Board’s Advanced Clean Truck rule, the world’s first rule requiring truck manufacturers to transition from diesel trucks and vans to electric zero-emission trucks beginning in 2024.

The California Fuel Cell Partnership is a collaboration of organizations, including car, bus, and truck manufacturers, infrastructure developers, energy providers, government agencies, fuel cell technology companies, and others that work together to promote the commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell electric vehicles.