The hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks, to be assembled at Hyzon’s facility in Winschoten, The Netherlands, will be manufactured in full compliance with local New Zealand requirements and the first batch of vehicles are expected to enter service in New Zealand by the end of 2021. Hyzon plans to have up to 1,500 fuel cell trucks on the road in New Zealand by 2026 as part of the agreement with Hiringa.
The trucks will be built in a 6x4 configuration, will include a sleeper cab option and will have a Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 58 metric tonnes (64 US tons) and range of 680 km (423 mi).
The vehicle supply agreement builds on the signing of a Heads of Agreement between the two companies in August 2020, and sets Hyzon and Hiringa on an ambitious path towards decarbonizing the New Zealand heavy transport sector through cooperation on hydrogen infrastructure and heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) deployment.
As part of the agreement, Hiringa will build a green hydrogen refueling network for vehicle fuel supply, to establish New Zealand as the global benchmark in fuel cell-powered logistics.
Hyzon’s FCEVs will be powered by green hydrogen supplied through Hiringa’s nationwide refueling infrastructure. The network is on track to commence refueling operations in 2021, expanding to eight hydrogen stations across New Zealand’s North and South Islands in 2022, servicing 100% of the North Island and 82% of the South Island’s heavy freight routes.
This announcement follows Hyzon’s announcement on 9 February 2021 that it had entered into a merger agreement with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation (a SPAC).