The transportation sector significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, with medium and heavy-duty (MHD) trucks and vehicles accounting for 36% of British Columbia’s road transportation emissions. Despite the growth of battery-electric trucks, commercial fleet adoption remains low due to range limitations, payload limitations, and recharging challenges. Hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks offer promising solutions in addressing these limitations, but North America currently lacks commercially available fuel cell electric heavy-duty straight trucks. As the demand for freight transportation continues to grow by 2% annually, with B.C. alone adding over 7,000 MHD trucks each year, the need for zero-emission alternatives is becoming more urgent.
Unilia is driving zero-emissions forward with its hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks, while using performance and reliability data to refine and scale this innovation.
Unilia’s NorthX-funded project will introduce a hydrogen fuel cell-powered heavy-duty straight truck to the roads of British Columbia, offering a viable zero-emission alternative for fleet operators. With a range of over 500 km, a refueling time of fewer than 20 minutes, and a high payload capacity, this fuel cell electric truck addresses the key operational challenges faced by battery-electric models.
By collecting performance and reliability data from this initial deployment, Unilia will refine the truck design for broader market readiness, supporting the decarbonization of the commercial trucking sector and setting the stage for competitive advantages in future deployments across North America.
