Common Motors will provide hydrogen fuel-cell stacks to energy a future semi-trailer truck from Navistar, the 2 firms introduced Wednesday.

The deal is much like the one GM forged with Nikola final fall, although the brand new deal is barely totally different as Navistar is already a longtime truck producer.

Navistar stated it plans to make use of the fuel-cell stacks as a part of a hydrogen-electric powertrain to enter a zero-emission model of its Worldwide RH Collection Class 8 semi-trailer truck.

GM’s fuel-cell stack for heavy-duty vehicles is called the Hydrotec energy dice. Every dice options 300 particular person gasoline cells and delivers 107 hp of steady energy. Two of them shall be required for every Navistar truck, together with a small battery.

Usually the truck’s electrical motors draw vitality from the fuel-cell stacks however throughout high-load conditions, vitality may also be drawn from a battery. This battery may be comparatively small because it’s solely used quickly, like when the truck is accelerating exhausting or climbing a steep hill. The estimated vary for Navistar’s truck is about 500 miles on a fill of hydrogen.

As for the place the hydrogen will come from, the deal additionally includes an organization by the identify of OneH2. Headquartered in Longview, North Carolina, OneH2 is a privately held firm that produces hydrogen through steam-methane reforming. Though the method produces carbon, OneH2 plans to finally introduce carbon capturing. Navistar stated it is going to take a minority stake in OneH2 as a part of the deal.

Navistar stated it plans to have its first fuel-cell-powered truck able to ship to prospects by the 2024 mannequin 12 months, although the corporate will begin testing the vehicles in a pilot program by the tip of the 2022 calendar 12 months.

Toyota and rival truck manufacturer Kenworth are additionally testing hydrogen-electric vehicles, and Daimler and Volvo Trucks have additionally partnered on hydrogen-electric powertrains for his or her respective vehicles.