WalMart eyes benefits of hydrogen delivery vehicles in wider trials.
Due to the manifold benefits that hydrogen provides, the company said it is also an option for its long-haul over the road tractors.
Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT) said it will expand transportation trials involving manufacturers of hydrogen, electric, and natural gas-powered delivery vehicles.
To maximise the potential emissions benefits of using the technology, Walmart has secured agreements with Chevron to supply Walmart trucks with CNG linked to renewable natural gas.
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With hydrogen-powered travel is still in its early stages of development, the retailer will be among the first to incorporate the greener fuel into its fleet, and is currently using liquid hydrogen to fuel several of its forklifts throughout supermarket distribution hubs.
It will also be the first company in USA to test the capabilities and performance of a hydrogen fuel cell yard truck being built in Texas by Capacity Truck.
Fernando Cortes, senior vice president, transportation, in a statement, said:
The advantage of hydrogen is that, compared to battery-electric, it has a higher range of around 400 miles, takes significantly less time to refuel and weighs less, allowing us to haul more freight.
“The downside? Right now, it’s expensive, and we know our customers look to us to keep prices low.”
Due to the manifold benefits that hydrogen provides, Cortes said it is also an option for its long-haul over the road tractors.
Many collaborations, such as those with Cummins, Inc (NYSE:CMI) and Daimler (ETR:DAI) Trucks’ Freightliner, are part of Walmart’s 2040 ambition to reach zero emissions across its global operations, including its fleet of 10,000 tractors and 80,000 trailers.
Walmart said it will get some of Cummins’ new 15-liter natural gas engines early next year, which it hopes to integrate into its trucks, and also plans to launch a battery-powered pilot this summer at one of its California distribution hubs, employing Freightliner’s eCascadia and Nikola Corp’s Tre BEV heavy-duty trucks.
The company revealed in January it had reserved 5,000 electric delivery vehicles from General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)’s commercial EV division, BrightDrop.
Walmart Canada said in 2020 it made reservations for 130 Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s Semi trucks, but the electric vehicle leader has yet to begin production.
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WalMart eyes benefits of hydrogen delivery vehicles in wider trials, June 8, 2022
