Vision Industries CEO Martin Schuermann plans to commercialize the big rig Tyrano plug-in hybrid hydrogen fuel cell truck. The Tyrano is a class A heavy duty truck, with twice the torque of diesel truck.
The Tyrano will be used to address emissions restrictions at both the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, California that both have clean truck programs. There is a $35 fee on every container coming into or leaving the port.
These funds are being used to replace 16,800 trucks working around the ports. As of January 2010 all trucks 2003 or older will be banned unless they are retrofitted. In January 2012 trucks that don’t meet the 2007 emissions requirements will be banned.
The clean truck programs pay up to 80-percent of the costs of new trucks that are replacing older trucks. Net purchase cost of the Tyrano is approximately $10,000 to $30,000 after port program and California and Federal tax credits.
Operating costs for the Tyrano are 35-percent less than diesel trucks and 50-percent less that LNG trucks.
The lack of hydrogen refueling stations has delayed a nationwide rollout of hydrogen cars. With the Tyrano (see video), however, only 2 to 3 stations are needed at the ports as most trucks don’t travel over 200 miles in one day, within the vicinity of the port.
The range of the Tyrano trucks is 340 miles. The Tyrano holds 33 kg of hydrogen and uses regenerative braking to recharge the battery pack.
And if this isn’t all, Vision Industries also has a high performance zero emissions supercar in the pipeline. The Cheetah is a super car plug-in hydrogen fuel cell car that can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. The Cheetah will start production early in 2010.
At a time when hydrogen vehicle development has hit a low due to lack of funding for development from the Federal government is good to see niche businesses take advantage of the zero emissions, torque, range and lower operating costs that hydrogen provides.