LA to assess fuel-cell trucks

The heavy-duty big-rigs will be tested to evaluate their suitability for short and medium distance drayage, and similar applications. Vision Industries has been marketing its Class 8 zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell hybrid-electric truck for more than a year and will now work with Port of Los Angeles to evaluate further its performance in the rigorous port trucking environment. The Vision trucks are powered by a combination of a hydrogen fuel cell and lithium batteries and have a potential range of up to 400 miles. “Los Angeles has been the worldwide leader in reductions in port emissions with initiatives like our highly successful Clean Air Action Plan and Clean Truck Program,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “Our commitment to working with companies that develop zero-emission trucks is another important strategy in our plan to grow Los Angeles green by being a catalyst in testing and bringing to market the most promising emission reduction technologies.” “The port’s partnership with Vision Industries reflects our unwavering commitment to pursuing sustainable clean air solutions for the long-term,” said port executive director Dr Geraldine Knatz. “Our success with the Clean Truck Program has motivated us to continue to be at the cutting edge of zero-emission transportation solutions that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” “We are very pleased to work with the Port of Los Angeles to demonstrate the viability of our zero emission, hybrid electric/ hydrogen fuel cell truck,” said Martin Schuermann, president and CEO of Vision Industries. “These vehicles are 30-40 percent less expensive to operate than diesel trucks. We expect a strong market demand once these trucks are in the hands of California medium and heavy duty equipment operators.” The Port’s Clean Truck Program, which began in October 2008, has removed thousands of polluting trucks from and delivered at least an 80 percent reduction in air emissions while maintaining an efficient drayage fleet. Looking forward, the port believes that zero emission vehicles will be necessary in coming years in order to contribute to achieving the goals for the transportation and port sectors under California’s AB32 greenhouse gas reduction legislation and the City’s GreenLA initiative. This has led the port to begin planning for a transition to zero emission vehicles over the next decade. The Vision Industries trucks will be put through a series of on-road and laboratory tests to demonstrate its usefulness in a variety of drayage duty cycles, including different loads, road conditions and travel distances. Local drayage trucking companies are expected to assist with the demonstration over the next 12 to 18 months, and the University of California at Riverside’s College of Engineering Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) laboratories will help guide the data collection and analysis. CE-CERT’s partnership with Los Angeles is expected to help demonstrate the utility of zero emission vehicles in a variety of medium and heavy-duty vehicle applications that extend beyond the port setting. Port of Los Angeles will be submitting a proposal for funding from the California Energy Commission to help support this project. The California Energy Commission has established an Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program to develop and deploy advanced transportation technologies to help attain the state’s climate change policies. The Port of Los Angeles will continue working with Balqon Corporation, another Class 8 electric vehicle manufacturer, through an existing contract to demonstrate the use of its fully electric vehicle. The CE-CERT laboratories will also guide these evaluations. The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has awarded Port of Los Angeles its 2009 Environmental Justice Achievement Award for the Port’s Clean Truck Program. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said: “This award is especially gratifying because it recognises our efforts and is a signal that we are on the right track. We have come a long way since we started the Clean Truck Program, but we still have work to do to make our port clean and green.” “The Port of Los Angeles is honoured to receive such recognition from the nation’s highest environmental authority,” added Geraldine Knatz. “We have taken unprecedented action to clean up these fleets and those efforts have made the air cleaner for the benefit of many communities surrounding the port complex.” The EPA cited both the efforts and success of the Clean Truck Program, stating that it “sets the environmental bar worldwide for other port facilities to improve air quality to neighbouring communities”. Since its commencement on 1 October 2008, the programme has delivered an estimated 70 percent reduction in air emissions compared to 2007 average air emissions. The award was shared by the Port of Long Beach and a group of strategic partners. Approximately 5,100 newer and cleaner trucks are now at the San Pedro Bay ports and on the surrounding freeways because of Clean Truck Program-related initiatives. These trucks are currently making nearly 66 percent of container pick-ups and drop offs at Los Angeles – a number expected to increase to more than 90 percent in early 2010.