California port trucking company Total Transportation Services was ahead of its time when it announced plans a decade ago to invest in hydrogen fuel-cell-electric trucks. As part of its commitment to reduce emissions, TTSI in 2011 announced plans to buy up to 100 Tyrano hydrogen fuel cell-electric Class 8 trucks from Vision Motors. But by 2014, Vision had filed for bankruptcy, sunk by the price of the trucks and difficulties in getting hydrogen fuel.
Since then, TTSI has added battery-electric trucks and near-zero natural gas trucks running renewable natural gas to its fleet in pursuit of its goal to eventually operate a 100% zero-emissions fleet.
Now it’s trying hydrogen again. This summer, it was one of three companies to take delivery of some of Kenworth’s first 10 hydrogen-fuel-cell T680 day cabs, developed with Toyota. The trucks can travel 300 miles on one charge of hydrogen.
