American legacy automaker General Motors partnered with equipment giant Komatsu to integrate hydrogen fuel cells into an electric mining truck. According to the press release, the partnership signifies the automaker’s efforts to expand electrification to heaviest-duty vehicles.
Partnership details
GM and Komatsu will work closely to produce a hydrogen fuel cell power module that will supposedly support Komatsu’s 930E electric drive mining truck.
Notably, the said model is currently the most popular ultra-class haul truck in the global market. After the development, the partners will also co-validate the new hydrogen fuel cell-powered mining truck.
“Mining trucks are among the largest, most capable vehicles used in any industry, and we believe hydrogen fuel cells are best suited to deliver zero emissions propulsion to these demanding applications.”
Charlie Freese, GM’s Global HYDROTEC Executive Director
Significance
GM has been exploring the hydrogen fuel cell technology for over 50 years already. It successfully developed platforms for li-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, as reported by Electrek.
That said, this new partnership will enable the company to further advance these R&D efforts and apply all the insights it gained so far.
Hydrogen fuel cells are ideal zero tailpipe emissions alternatives for extreme hauling trucks such as the Komatsu 930E with a 320-ton nominal payload. Hydrogen offers an efficient approach to support substantial energy onboard the vehicle without affecting its payload capacity.
In addition, mining trucks usually focus on a single mine in their entire life cycle, making hydrogen refueling station deployment easier.
“Finding new ways to power the equipment our customers need to do the vital work of mining and construction is a critical part of our commitment to supporting a more sustainable future.
This is essential work that requires cross-industry collaboration, and we are excited to be working with GM on this important solution for a haulage offering without tailpipe emissions.”
Dan Funcannon, Komatsu North America Engineering and Development VP
Targets
GM and Komatsu target to test the HYDROTEC-powered mining vehicle prototype in the “mid-2020s” at the latter’s Arizona Proving Grounds R&D hub.
They aim to develop a prototype with more than 2 megawatts of HYDROTEC power cubes to support extreme mining-related hauling activities.
This strategic partnership will undoubtedly accelerate both of the companies’ respective sustainable goals. For instance, Komatsu aims to halve its global emissions generation by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
On the other hand, GM aims to hit carbon neutrality across its global products and operations by 2040.
GM and Komatsu are highly optimistic that developing technologioes like hydrogen fuel cell-powered mining truck can accelerate the lower-emission mobility uptake and expand its benefits beyond passenger vehicles to other industries.
