Motoring

Hydrogen truck trial to accelerate shift to cleaner energy future

hydrogen truck driving

David Toscano

Posted October 20, 2022

An innovative new partnership between RACV and global leader Hyzon Motors will see Nationwide Group, a RACV-owned subsidary, trial hydrogen-technology as it transitions towards a cleaner energy future.

Alongside battery electric vehicles, hydrogen has long been touted by automotive industry stakeholders and governments as a key technology to help drive transport emissions lower. Now, in an exciting development towards a cleaner energy future, an innovative new partnership between RACV and Hyzon Motors will see hydrogen-powered trucks trialled on Victorian roads.

“Hydrogen is the fuel of the future,” says John Edgley, Managing Director Hyzon Motors Australia and New Zealand, a global leader in zero-emissions hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles. “Hydrogen comes from water, comes out of landfill gas, it comes out of anaerobic digester gas that comes from the waste that we produce from our processing, it’s a fundamental element and we can use that to replace our fossil fuels.”

Learn about the future of fuel with hydrogen with John Edgley.


While the lack of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and growing popularity and affordability of battery electric vehicles (which can be charged at home via renewable energy) will likely mean hydrogen-powered cars remain out of reach for Australians for the foreseeable future, the trucking industry is bullish about hydrogen’s potential to help transition the sector into a cleaner energy future.

Under a new partnership agreement between the RACV and Hyzon Motors, the global commercial vehciel supplier is expected to deliver three locally manufactured hydrogen-powered trucks to the Nationwide Group - an RACV-owned subsidiary - for trial, the first order for a towing company in Australia.

“The Hyzon vehicle offers a way for Nationwide Group to start to take their first step into a hydrogen-based future – cleaner and greener and decarbonising the fleet,” says Edgley.

 

michael stephenson standing in front of nationwide trucks

Nationwide Group CEO Michael Stephenson is excited for the trial of hydrogen-powered trucks.

Nationwide Group Chief Executive Officer Michael Stephenson says the business is excited to be exploring how hydrogen can play a part in the future of road transport in Australia.

“At Nationwide, we do towing and transport in a range of different sectors. Across the wide range of work we do, we want to trial Hydrogen technology,” Stephenson explains. “These are the first hydrogen-powered tow trucks in the world so it’s tremendously exciting for RACV Members and all our customers.”

Under the agreement, Hyzon Motors in conjunction with the RACV at their Noble Park location, will also develop a purpose–built facility including corporate offices, showroom, assembly warehousing and workshop. This is expected to generate over a 100 localised engineering and manufacturing jobs by 2025, with hundreds more indirect jobs.

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