A 40-ton hydrogen-powered truck unveiled in Geneva
The vehicle, presented Tuesday in Geneva, operates with an electric-hydrogen powertrain.
The truck does not emit any CO2 emissions, but water vapour.
KEYSTONE / MAGALI GIRARDIN
The first 40-ton hydrogen-powered delivery truck designed in Switzerland was presented in Geneva on Tuesday. In response to the climate emergency, this vehicle does not emit any CO2 emissions, but only water vapour.
“This is the first time that this technology has been used for a 40 ton”, noted Jean-Luc Favre, president of the Nomads Foundation, during the presentation of the truck. This was presented as part of the 23rd edition of the European Conference on Energy Transition, which takes place in Geneva until Thursday.
Local and sustainable energy
The truck runs on an electric-hydrogen powertrain. With a power of 500 horsepower, it has a range of 600 kilometers, said Jean-François Weber, general manager of GreenGT. It releases less than a liter of water per kilometer in the form of steam at 80 degrees, much less than the 150 degrees emitted by a car, he said.
The energy used to run this truck will be local and sustainable. The GIS will invest 20 to 30 million francs to produce, by 2024-2025, hydrogen by electrolysis from the incineration of waste, indicated their director Christian Brunier. “Hydrogen doesn’t solve all the problems, but it’s the heavy-duty alternative,” he said.
The prototype truck cost over a million francs. “Its selling price will be two to three times higher than that of a diesel truck. But this additional cost will be compensated by the lower price of hydrogen, which is known and stable”, explained Mr. Weber.
Skills required
Announced in November 2019, the GoH! is materialized. The partners all underlined the importance of anticipating training with a view to the energy transition. “We must define, with the schools, the necessary skills”, pleaded Jean-Luc Favre.
Introducing the presentation of this truck, Antonio Hodgers, Geneva State Councilor and co-president of Greater Geneva, noted the role of private companies and innovation in the ecological transition: “The State cannot do everything, but it can set the framework conditions. The companies that will be successful tomorrow will be those that have reduced their carbon footprint.”
Posted today at 4:05 p.m.
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