The Atlanta Show in Review

November 6, 2019 Volume 1, Number 13

Well, the North American Commercial Vehicle Show has come and gone for 2019, having invaded the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for a few days last week. It was chock full of juicy news and announcements, so I’ll review the highlights here. That’s certainly not to say that I’ll be able to cover it all. Not even close.

This issue of the NACV Newsletter will be the last for the time being, although we’ll launch it again in advance of the 2021 show. If you want to continue reading my take on the product and technology news of the day, and don’t already subscribe, I refer you to my other newsletter, The Lockwood Report that’s been running for 16 years. These days, that’s longevity.

As you might guess, the Atlanta affair was a showcase for all manner of very advanced technologies – stratotech, as opposed to high tech, as I’ve labelled it before. Some are ready to roll now, some a little further away. All will advance the trucking art in some way, dramatically in many cases.

There were also many significant improvements on existing products, like Meritor’s new air disc brake, the EX+ LS purpose-built for linehaul and trailer applications. Or Volvo’s addition to its lineup, the new VNR 660 model. It offers lighter weight and shorter length for regional-haul customers, with a new high-roof sleeper for added space and comfort. From Detroit, we saw the new DD15 Gen 5 engine, available in 2021 and promising more efficient combustion. And the DT12 automated manual transmission will be updated next year to include higher overall ratios that can deliver better low-speed maneuverability.

More on those later, but for now let’s look at the biggest news.

THE BIG NEWS WAS ELECTRIC

No surprise there, and predictably the star of the show was Hyundai Motor Company’s dramatic concept vehicle, the HDC-6 NEPTUNE Class 8 heavy-duty truck. It’s a fuel cell electric machine with a range of 950 to 1250 km, and while basically nothing else was divulged about it in terms of technical specs, it represents yet another sign that hydrogen is on its way. It might also signal a future entry into the North American market for the very, very large South Korean outfit.

Hyundai is actually a big-time supplier of commercial vehicles. It manufacturers Class 2-8 trucks and buses at three international plants, currently sold in 130 countries around the world. What may be even less well known is that it’s one of the top two or three world leaders in the development of fuel cell electric vehicles.

In 2013, Hyundai launched the first mass-produced and commercially available fuel-cell electric vehicle and the world’s first production facility for fuel cell vehicles. The NEXO, its second-generation fuel cell electric vehicle with a range of over 610 km, is a three-row SUV. It just set a land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats, by the way. In 2018, the company invested $US6.4 billion to accelerate the development of a hydrogen society, looking beyond passenger vehicles.

“Today at this show, by showing HDC-6 Neptune, the first hydrogen-only concept for Hyundai Motor Company’s commercial vehicles, we will start exploring opportunities in the United States commercial vehicle market,” said Edward Lee, head of Hyundai’s Commercial Vehicle Business Division. “Furthermore, we are willing to work with other partners to pave the way to establish a hydrogen ecosystem for CV.”

Hyundai has already expanded its global position in commercialized fuel cell technology for trucks. Through its joint venture with H2 Energy, Hyundai is providing 1600 FCEV heavy-duty trucks — fuel cell versions of its Xcient model — to the Swiss commercial vehicle market, beginning this year and through to 2023. With entry into the European market done, the U.S. market is an important next phase of the company’s vision.

Rather than a photo of the HDC-6 Neptune, which you’ve probably already seen, the pic you’ll see here is of the Xcient hydrogen fuel cell truck. It stands to make an impact much sooner because it’s not a concept. It’s ready to rock, in Switzerland.

CUMMINS PURSUES HYDROGEN TOO

“It’s the basic building block of the universe,” says Cummins on its website. “And today, hydrogen is an essential element of any power portfolio. The next big thing in clean energy offers absolute purity with no sacrifice in power, no decline in performance, and absolutely no emissions.”

Like a growing number of others, the company is aggressively ramping up its hydrogen fuel cell research and development efforts. And that’s happening alongside an equal push to develop battery electric technology, from deep in the heart of Indiana diesel territory.

In Atlanta Cummins unveiled its latest innovation, a badgeless Freightliner Cascadia demo tractor with both fuel cell and battery electric power. Its strategy, the company says, is to provide customers with a broad portfolio of power options, from diesel and natural gas, hybrids, to battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell. It also says it’s been working with fuel cells for 20 years.

“Developing this cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cell truck as a technology demonstrator is an important step in gaining valuable insights that are critical to continue developing the right solutions for the market and preparing for the next 100 years,” said Thad Ewald, vice president, corporate strategy at Cummins and leader of the company’s Electrified Power business.

Designed and built by Cummins engineers, the concept tractor features a new, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell that converts hydrogen into electricity, which is then used to power electric drive motors.

The display truck features a 90 kW fuel cell. But the system is scalable to meet both shorter- and longer-range requirements, and can be spec’d with several other versions ranging from 30 kW up to 180 kW in addition to a 100 kWh lithium-ion battery capacity. These combined propulsion systems give the concept truck a range of 240 to 400 km before its hydrogen supply has to be replenished. It’s said to be suitable for vocational applications, regional haul, urban delivery operations, port drayage, and terminal container handling.