This interview was conducted with BMC Pilot Partners; Haluk ATASOY, R&D Design (Power Train) and Technical Project Lead of ESCALATE at BMC, Tuğba Efe, R&D and Incentives Group Leader and ESCALATE Project Coordinator at BMC, Betül TÜRK, Research Group Leader at TUBITAK MRC, and Dorine Crousle, Research Engineer at ENGIE, at the ESCALATE pilot of BMC. It is the first interview of a series of conversations with our pilot leaders to present current challenges in the tests and highlight initial milestones that were achieved so far. The discussed pilot aims to adapt an existing internal combustion engine truck by converting it into a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle with a battery pack.
What are the innovative design features and main highlights that are unique to your pilot, especially related to the aspects of long-haul zero-emission freight vehicles?
Technology of the vehicle components
We are redesigning a BMC Tuğra diesel truck and transforming it into a zero-emission HDV. This is achieved by installing a modular powertrain by combining two 120 kW fuel cells, several hydrogen storage tanks that will operate with up to 700 bar, as well as a 100 kWh modular battery pack. This setup will ensure a high operational flexibility and short refuelling times, and it allows the transformed truck to achieve a range above 700km on a single refuelling capacity.
The central electric motor of the truck is a ZF CeTrax, which is used as a single platform that integrates transmission, e-motor, invertors, as well as e-actuators, which replace the transmission of the old ICE vehicle.
The pilot routes
Thanks to this modular design, the BMC fuel-cell tractor-truck has extended range capabilities, which allows it to be a versatile solution for both regional and long-haul transport, reducing the dependency on frequent refuelling stops, which creates operational flexibility.
Achieving over 800 km on a single hydrogen refill at full gross vehicle weight (GVW) aligns with the demands of long-haul transport, reducing downtime and increasing productivity. Furthermore, the high-speed refuelling capability (≥170 g/s) minimizes operational delays, making hydrogen-powered vehicles more viable for continuous long-haul operations.
The France – Germany route demonstrates the truck’s capability to perform long-haul missions across national borders without the need for refuelling, showcasing its potential to revolutionise international logistics. Such long-haul daily operation is planned to highlight the vehicle capacity to drive long distances and, therefore, be suitable for real-world logistics solutions in the European Union and beyond.
An essential element of the pilot is the modular approach. Why do you use it, and what are the benefits?
The modular approach in vehicle design refers to the use of interchangeable and scalable components that allow for flexibility in configuration, optimisation, and adaptation to different operational needs. This concept simplifies maintenance, enhances efficiency by facilitating the integration of new technologies, and allows the customisation of vehicles for specific use cases.
Components such as battery packs, fuel cells, and hydrogen storage systems can be adjusted based on range and power requirements. It also reduces manufacturing costs and facilitates the adaptation of the vehicle by either updating or exchanging parts, depending on the distance, payload, or refuelling infrastructure.
What are the innovative aspects related to the tested hydrogen fuel cell solutions?
The pilot will test the fast SAEJ2601/5 refuelling protocol at the start of the cross-border test. It establishes prescriptive general-purpose high-flow fuelling protocols and process limits for hydrogen fuelling of vehicles with 700 bar compressed hydrogen storage system (CHSS) volume capacities between 250 and 5000 litres. This high-flow refilling of the tanks as part of the pilot test is supported by the energy provider ENGIE. Besides the vehicle design that is tested in the pilot, the fast refuelling strategy is still very new and the tests will demonstrate its ability is to fill rapidly the tanks up to a state of charge of 100% to achieve maximum efficiency.
These ESCALATE tests in Turkey as part of the cross-border pilot will pave the way for heavy-duty fuel-cell trucks to be deployed in the next years and decades to promote the zero-emission freight targets of the EU.
What were the main reasons for the pilot route selection?
The selection of specific pilot routes for the fuel-cell tractor truck has four major strategic advantages:
- Route diversity for operational validation across diverse conditions:
Our two routes will test the vehicle’s performance across varied terrains, climates, and traffic conditions. This diversity ensures the truck’s reliability and adaptability in different European transport scenarios. - Cross-border logistics assessment for international freight operations:
The route between France and Germany allows for the evaluation of cross-border logistics, including regulatory and infrastructure compatibility. - Infrastructure compatibility testing in terms of refuelling network Integration:
Operating on the routes enables the assessment of existing and planned hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, ensuring that the vehicle’s design aligns with real-world refuelling capabilities and identifying areas for infrastructure development. - Market potential analysis considering strategic corridors:
The selected route between France and Germany is a significant EU freight corridor. This will provide insights into the economic viability and market acceptance of fuel-cell heavy-duty vehicles in high-demand road freight transport regions.
What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them? What are the next steps in the next months?
Hydrogen as a new fuel technology for the automotive industry, results in lack of certified vendors for the vehicle manufacturers at component level in terms of legislations. As a consequence, the search for suppliers for components was challenging, as available vendors faced delays in the development and production phase of the required parts. Therefore, we had to widen our search for vehicle component manufacturers and search for parts on a global scale.