ANAHEIM, Calif. — Toyota Motor North America announced an agreement to put its fuel cell powertrain into Kenworth and Peterbilt big rigs.
The automaker and Paccar, owner of the truck brands, announced the deal Tuesday at the ACT Expo clean transportation conference here.
Toyota has leveraged the fuel cell technology it developed for the small-volume Mirai sedan for use in heavy-duty trucks.
Much of the work used Kenworth Class 8 truck cabs and chassis, including a demonstration project at Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., ports.
The companies see a growing market for zero-emission fuel cell technology as regulators in California and other regions begin to phase out diesel trucks.
California, for example, will require 5 percent of new Class 7 and Class 8 truck sales to be zero-emission vehicles starting next year. That jumps to 40 percent in 2032. The truck industry expects other states to follow California’s lead, adding to the market size.
“This innovative technology enables us to provide our commercial customers with a viable carbon-neutral option to further their business while also contributing to Toyota’s mission to reduce and ultimately eliminate carbon from the environment,” Christopher Yang, the automaker’s group vice president of business development, said in a statement.
