Hydrogen-Powered Heavy-Duty Truck Establishes New Threshold by Traveling 1,800 Miles on a Single Fill

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) today highlighted a recent groundbreaking achievement in hydrogen-powered transportation: a prototype H2Rescue truck, built and powered by Accelera with funding support from DOE and other federal agency partners, last month established a new world record by traveling 1,806 miles on a single fill of hydrogen fuel.

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This record highlights the potential for hydrogen to revolutionize long-distance, zero-emission transportation.

The truck completed its record-setting journey in California and was closely monitored and validated by an adjudicator from Guinness World Records who confirmed the truck’s hydrogen tank was sealed before the journey began. Powered by a Cummins Accelera fuel cell engine and a 250-kilowatt traction motor, the truck carried 175 kilograms of hydrogen and consumed 168 kilograms while navigating rush hour traffic, between 50 to 55 mph, on public roads, operating in temperatures varying from 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Accelera researchers confirmed that over the 1,800-mile trip, the hydrogen-filled truck emitted zero pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2), a stark contrast to the 664 pounds of CO2 a standard internal combustion engine vehicle would have emitted over the same distance.

Using hydrogen in this type of truck—which is typically used in emergency response, military, and utility applications—can displace approximately 1,825 gallons of fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.5 metric tons annually. This demonstration vehicle, weighing approximately 33,000 pounds, is the result of an innovative collaboration between Accelera, HFTO, DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Department of Defense.