Class 8 hydrogen truck demonstration underway in B.C

Loblaw Companies, FortisBC Energy and partners have launched the first sustained commercial demonstration of a hydrogen-powered Class 8 truck in British Columbia.

The milestone was celebrated at Loblaw’s Marine Drive distribution center with project contributors, industry stakeholders and government officials, according to a news release.

The project, supported by FortisBC’s Clean Growth Innovation Fund, launched earlier this fall to demonstrate the real-world performance of zero-emission heavy-duty trucks in daily retail operations. The hydrogen pilot in B.C. marks the next step in the company’s strategy to explore lower carbon, scalable technologies that can help transform how goods move across Canada, the release added.

Since beginning regular service the week of Oct. 14, the hydrogen-fueled truck has completed multiple Lower Mainland-to-Squamish routes and logged hundreds of kilometers of zero-emission deliveries, providing data on performance, fueling and operating conditions.

The demonstration brings together a partnership including HTEC, the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA), the B.C. Trucking Association (BCTA), Deloitte, Transport Canada, the province of British Columbia and Hyundai Motor Company.

Pilot funded by partnerships

Funding for this demonstration includes a $30,000 contribution from FortisBC’s Clean Growth Innovation Fund. Data collection and analysis are supported through Transport Canada’s Zero Emission Trucking Program, delivered via the Deloitte and AMTA Trucking Testbed and AMTA’s own Zero Emission Trucking Testbed, which is piloting zero-emission freight hauling in Western Canada. Funding for the Hyundai Xcient fuel cell truck is provided through the province of B.C.’s Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund, which supports the province’s clean energy sector.

The truck is leased from HTEC and fueled at HTEC’s Southeast Marine Drive hydrogen station in Vancouver. The truck’s operation between the Lower Mainland and Squamish offers insights into the vehicle’s range, efficiency and performance.

The demonstration will continue through late November, contributing data and insights to help inform future hydrogen vehicle and infrastructure development across B.C.