General Motors and Autocar Industries, LLC Join Forces to Develop Zero Emission Vocational Vehicles

United States- General Motors Corporation and Autocar Industries, LLC have inked a collaborative agreement to pioneer a line of vocational vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions, leveraging GM's HYDROTEC power cubes. Autocar, a prominent player in customized vocational trucks, sees this venture as a pivotal step toward delivering robust, emission-free solutions in compliance with EPA requirements.

Fuel cell technology, a cornerstone of GM's electrification strategy, brings an additional energy propulsion avenue for Autocar's vocational customers. By combining hydrogen and oxygen through an electrochemical reaction, fuel cells convert stored hydrogen energy into electricity, offering a promising solution for the demanding needs of heavyweight applications such as class 8 trucks, refuse trucks, and terminal tractors.

Charlie Freese, GM's Executive Director, Global HYDROTEC, said that, "While EV propulsion systems like GM’s Ultium Platform excel in electrifying passenger vehicles, larger vehicles like Autocar’s class 8 trucks demand robust solutions with significant energy capacity and fast refueling times. We aim to provide zero tailpipe emissions solutions for the largest, highest energy-consuming vehicles, and fuel cells are ideal for the most energy-intensive applications."

These collaborative trucks, utilizing GM’s HYDROTEC power cubes, are set to commence production in 2026 at Autocar's Truck Plant in Birmingham, Alabama. The first batch will include cement mixers, roll-off and dump trucks, with subsequent production of refuse trucks and terminal tractors. Autocar will build these vehicles to order, directly selling them to customers.

Eric Schwartz, President of Autocar, said that "Autocar provides customized vocational trucking solutions, and as regulations change, we see HYDROTEC fuel cells as an additional avenue for our customers to meet their EPA requirements with zero tailpipe emissions vehicles.GM’s scale, reliability and the capability of their HYDROTEC fuel cell technology will enhance Autocar’s existing platforms."

Each HYDROTEC power cube boasts over 300 hydrogen fuel cells, accompanied by thermal and power management systems. Triz Engineering, under the ownership of GVW Group (Autocar's parent company), will provide expert integration support for power distribution between the fuel cell and batteries, optimizing performance while achieving zero tailpipe emissions. Johann Vorster, President of TRIZ Engineering, emphasized the unique nature of this fuel cell application within vocational vehicles, offering severe-duty trucking more options to be rugged and achieve emission-free operations.

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