Toyota New Zealand backs 50-tonne hydrogen truck rollout
A 50-tonne DAF CF 530 has been given a new lease on life in New Zealand – this time without its diesel engine.
The “prime mover” (Kiwi speak for tractor unit), which is now running on hydrogen, is the first of 20 zero-emission heavy vehicles being deployed by TR Group under a government-supported commercial rollout.
It was converted by Christchurch-based Global Bus Ventures (GBV), which normally builds hydrogen buses but has, in this case, turned its hand to freight.
The truck uses two Toyota-sourced 85kW fuel cells (170kW total), backed by a 124kWh battery and 52kg of hydrogen stored onboard.
Claimed range is 500km, and it refuels in roughly the same time it takes to fill up a standard diesel unit.
The vehicle was unveiled at Hampton Downs, where it completed track and road testing before entering service.
No infrastructure? No problem (sort of)
The hydrogen DAF is one of 20 vehicles being leased to operators via TR Group’s fully maintained scheme, designed to lower the barrier to entry for fleets wanting to cut emissions without building infrastructure from scratch.
Sixteen of the trucks are GBV’s 6×4 tractor units, four are Hyundai Xcient FCEV rigids.
All are part of a deployment supported through New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund, administered by EECA.
TR Group says the total investment sits somewhere in the “tens of millions” range.
As for the refuelling network – well Hiringa Energy is handling that. Its first four commercial-scale hydrogen stations are set to open in Wiri, Te Rapa, Palmerston North and Tauranga, covering the bulk of North Island freight corridors.
For now, trucks will be deployed where hydrogen is available. A radical strategy, one might think.
Toyota’s fingerprints on the fuel cell hardware
The fuel cell system is supplied by Toyota, which has quietly been pushing hydrogen forward in New Zealand for the better part of a decade.
CEO Tatsuya Ishikawa said the project reflects Toyota’s ambition to build a “robust hydrogen ecosystem” and pointed to other projects, from off-grid generators to marine vessels, as proof of hydrogen’s flexibility.
The same hydrogen fuel cells in the DAF were used to power Emirates Team New Zealand’s Chase Zero boat at the last two America’s Cups, in fact.
Toyota also runs a small corporate trial fleet of Mirai saloon cars in New Zealand and plans to expand that to 18 vehicles under a commercial leasing scheme.
Built for work
TR Group already operates more than 60 battery-electric trucks but sees hydrogen as a better fit for the long-haul, heavy-duty end of the spectrum.
According to Hydrogen Truck Project Manager Grant Doull, the focus is on making the transition practical – keeping the trailers, routes, schedules, and refuelling times as close to business-as-usual as possible.
