New Way Trucks, a refuse truck body manufacturer, and Hyzon, a U.S.-based hydrogen fuel cell system developer, are gaining momentum in showcasing the value of hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric refuse collection, the companies announced.
New Way and Hyzon debuted North America's first hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric refuse vehicle at Waste Expo in Las Vegas in May, following an initial announcement earlier this year.
"Refuse collection presents an ideal application to showcase the viability of hydrogen fuel cell technology across the environmental services industry," said Eric Evans, chief product officer for New Way. "Integrating the performance and functionality of our New Way Sidewinder automated side loader and the consistent and regenerative power of Hyzon's hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain offers a lighter weight refuse vehicle with more payload, compared to battery electric, and similar range and performance as the diesel and CNG trucks in customers' fleets."
See also: Hyzon helps fleet cover its bases before implementing hydrogen fuel cell EVs
The trials with New Way customers across California and Canada build on Hyzon's fuel cell electric refuse collection vehicle trials in Australia. They showed how hydrogen fuel cell technology compares to traditional heavy-duty diesel engines, overcoming some challenges identified with other zero-emission technologies, such as range issues, fluctuations in operating temperatures, and payload limitations.
Hyzon also launched its Class 8 200 kW FCEV tractor-trailer trial program last month with major North American fleet customers.
"This momentum and continued interest are evidence that our Hyzon high-performance hydrogen fuel cells offer the right technology to provide zero emission power tough enough to perform the hard work a refuse truck needs to deliver day in and day out," Hyzon CEO Parker Meeks said. "The interest will only increase, and I am excited for our continued partnership with New Way to change the future and power a better way forward."
