According to a report, Stellantis Hydrogen chief, Jean-Michel Billig, reported to say that hydrogen fuel-cell electric Ram HD 5500 trucks will be coming to market soon. The company did not specify the exact time frame, but Stellantis says these trucks will be produced at the company’s Mexico-based facility that currently builds Ram HD pickup trucks and chassis cabs. This report comes to us via HydrogenInsight and a pointer by Robert Ryan.
Updated on 1:15pm EST May 1, 20024. “Ram has not officially announced a future FC Ram HD” – according to a statement by Ram Trucks representative.
Hydrogen-based propulsion is gaining a lot of momentum. Nikola Motors recently announced that it produced 100 fuel-cell electric Class 8 semi trucks at its Arizona facility. Toyota is doubling down on hydrogen-based propulsion and energy generation technology with a new facility in California.
Many companies including General Motors, Hyundai, Honda, BMW, and many others are working on hydrogen-based propulsion systems. Some are exploring the possibility of combusting hydrogen inside an ICE power plant, while most are looking into using hydrogen in a fuel-cell power unit to create electricity for propulsion. There are several hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) available on the market today.
There are many challenges with this. Fuel-cell units and hydrogen storage tanks are currently expensive to produce. Producing the hydrogen fuel itself in an environmentally friendly way is another big hurdle. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, but it’s also one of the most reactive. It does not exist in isolation. A common way to produce hydrogen is to split water, but this process requires energy.
Hydrogen fuel-cell power units produce a lot of heat when they are operating at capacity or near capacity, so they need to be kept cool. Finally, a hydrogen fueling infrastructure does not currently exist in any meaningful way.
On the positive side, an FCEV is driven by electric motor or motors. These vehicles are very powerful and quick. These vehicles employ regenerative braking to recoup energy during deceleration. The only exhaust from an FCEV is water. Hydrogen fill-ups are much faster than charging a large battery.
Here is my quick first drive in a Nikola FCEV semi truck.
Given all the challenges, we may not seen an electric Ram HD commercial vehicle very soon, but it may be sooner than you think.
Here is Ram’s current HD truck lineup. We are expecting significant Ram HD news to come later this year.
