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GM to supply Autocar with HYDROTEC fuel cells to electrify vocational vehicles

January 23, 2024

General Motors and Autocar Industries, LLC, have entered into a joint development agreement to develop a series of vocational vehicles powered by GM’s HYDROTEC fuel cell power cubes.

These power cubes are compact, easy to package, scalable, and can electrify vehicles and applications across various industries, including freight trucking, aerospace, and power generation. The first of these vehicles is expected to go into production in 2026 at the Autocar Truck Plant in Birmingham, Alabama. Vehicles equipped with HYDROTEC technology will be built to order by Autocar and sold directly to customers.

Each power cube contains over 300 hydrogen fuel cells, along with thermal and power management systems and proprietary controls. These components optimize fuel cell and battery life and performance while enhancing cold start capability. The HYDROTEC power cube provides 77 kilowatts of power and operates much quieter than a conventional diesel propulsion system. Multiple power cubes can be arranged in a vehicle for even higher power ratings.

Fuel cells, a crucial part of GM’s electrification strategy, combine hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity through an electrochemical reaction. This process allows the conversion of energy stored in hydrogen into electricity to power a vehicle. Fuel cells are lightweight, support large payloads, offer excellent range, quiet operation, and rapid refueling, making them suitable for heavy-duty applications. Compared to diesel vehicles, fuel cell-powered vehicles have the added advantage of producing zero tailpipe emissions.

Triz Engineering, a commercial vehicle engineering company owned by GVW Group, which also owns Autocar, will provide expert integration support for power distribution between the fuel cell and batteries.

GM’s HYDROTEC fuel cell power cubes will be produced by GM in Brownstown, Michigan.

Charlie Freese, GM executive director, Global HYDROTEC, said, “EV propulsion systems like GM’s Ultium Platform are great solutions for electrifying passenger vehicles, but larger vehicles like Autocar’s class 8 trucks, refuse trucks and terminal tractors require robust solutions that enable significant energy carrying capacity and fast refueling times. We want to enable zero tailpipe emissions solutions for the largest, highest energy consuming vehicles, and fuel cells are ideal for the most energy intensive applications.”