Michelin subsidiary Symbio gets grant to develop Class 8 fuel cell trucks
California has a 2045 goal of becoming carbon neutral, and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), which offer the range and fast fueling of diesel trucks, while like battery-electric vehicles generate zero emissions at the tailpipe and deliver quiet operation and maintenance advantages (no aftertreatment system), are being looked at as a viable option for fleets. The California Energy Commission (CEC) wants to vet the technology, and is providing $2 million to Symbio, a joint venture between Michelin and Faurecia, to design and demonstrate a Class 8 FCEV in a regional haul application. The goal of the “Symbio H2 Central Valley Express” project is to prove that hydrogen mobility can match a 15L diesel truck's performance.
GTI will provide grant support and provide technical training and project management, while Total Transportation Services (TTSI) will be the fleet operator.
“Being chosen from a pool of strong applicants shows that Symbio is regarded as a Tier One name in hydrogen mobility," said Alexis Garcin, chairman and president, Michelin North America. "Hydrogen technology is a vital element in the electric vehicle revolution because it not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s also a faster-charging, longer-range option for electric vehicles. This award is a big step in our commitment to sustainable development and mobility.”
The project will commence in the latter half of 2023. For one full year, the modified Freightliner Cascadia truck will traverse a 400-mile route between the Inland Empire and Northern San Joaquin Valley. Air Liquide, Shell, and Trillium’s all have existing hydrogen infrastructure in the region to support fueling.
Symbio will be responsible for creating and integrating the powertrain using its fuel cell stack technology, called StackPack. This will couple to Faurecia’s hydrogen storage system. Michelin's low resistance tires will also be used, which should improve the truck's range.
"Ultimately through this project and the contributions of the whole team, we are determined to address current commercialization barriers and accelerate the adoption of hydrogen-based heavy-duty mobility solutions in the goods movement market,” said Rob Del Core, general manager, Symbio North America.
Michelin's history of hydrogen
“Michelin has been in hydrogen for about 20 years,” said Anthony Reyes, VP of Hydrogen Services, Michelin. “The initiative started with an R&D project in Switzerland. Michelin, for some time now, has been looking to grow with, around, and beyond tires. Since then, we’ve created four different generations of fuel cells up to today. Those fuel cells have been tested in automobiles, in ferries, in buses, in stored systems for Airbus—a number of different scenarios.”
Today, Reyes said, that fourth generation fuel cell is “really ready for primetime commercial vehicle scenarios.”
Reyes said Symbio is already shipping with partners in Europe including Stellantis, Peugeot, Citroen, and Opel utility vans.
"We’re also shipping with a European bus brand, Safra," Reyes added. "There are 1,500 buses that are being manufactured now and will be shipping over the next three years in a series of French cities.”
Symbio's experience extends beyond its inception in 2019 as a joint venture.
“Symbio, as an organization, has been making fuel cells or developing fuel cells for 10 years,” explained Rick Breunesse, director of business development, Symbio. “With the assistance and the knowledge that Michelin brings to the table, we’re built into a stage now where we can really implement it into a heavy-duty truck, in higher production. Faurecia also brings a lot to the table as far as the knowledge on the storage tanks."
Reyes said one of Symbio's major advantage is the consolidation of components.
"The fact that we create the fuel cell, the storage tanks, and then we add all the other necessary components for the [fuel cell system], no other competitor does that," Reyes asserted. "We’re able to go to the OEMs and fleets and say, ‘Look; you don’t need to buy the fuel cell from here, the tanks from there, the battery elsewhere… We offer a turnkey solution. And it’s all tested, completely tested and optimized.”
