Toyota’s family of eco-friendly vehicles gained a supersized sibling this morning in the form of Project Portal, a hydrogen fuel cell-powered commercial truck.
Along with representatives from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC), the zero-emission truck proof of concept will be unveiled today at the Port of Los Angeles where it will take part in “a feasibility study examining the potential usage of fuel cell technology in heavy-duty applications” beginning this summer.
The truck is a fuel cell electric vehicle, using power from two hydrogen fuel cell stacks (borrowed from Toyota’s Mirai passenger car) to feed its 12 kWh battery pack and an electric powertrain that turns Project Portal’s wheels to the tune of 670 horsepower and 1325 pound feet of torque. Its gross combined weight capacity is 80,000 pounds with an estimated driving range over 200 miles per tank of hydrogen fuel with the only tailpipe emission being pure water vapor.
The Project Portal platform is designed to support class 8 load port drayage operations — or short haul transport of cargo around the port or between ships and warehouses. According to Toyota and port officials, “heavy duty vehicles make up a significant percentage of the annual emissions output” and the lessons learned and technologies derived from this study could result in cleaner air for the port and surrounding areas.
“Toyota believes that hydrogen fuel cell technology has tremendous potential to become the powertrain of the future,” said TMNA Executive Vice President Bob Carter. “From creating one of the world’s first mass market fuel cell vehicles, to introducing fuel cell buses in Japan, Toyota is a leader in expanding the use of versatile and scalable zero-emission technology. With Project Portal, we’re proud to help explore the societal benefits of a true zero-emission heavy-duty truck platform.”
Project Portal will be unveiled at an event later this morning, so be sure to check back for even more photos and details.
