Taranaki-based Hiringa Energy company signed a deal with the US-based hydrogen vehicle company, Hyzon Motors, to deploy heavy fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in New Zealand by 2021, planning to construct hydrogen fuelling stations in time for the roll-out of 20 hydrogen fuel cell trucks by 2021, with the intent to have 1500 hydrogen powered trucks operating by 2026.
Eight stations across both the North and South Islands by 2022 would cover about 95% of the country's freight routes, and trials with the first group of trucks, owned by the TR Group, will involve leasing the vehicles to different trucking operators for demonstration. Currently a 25-30% premium exists over equivalent diesel trucks, but creating an economy of scale by bringing in more trucks and increasing hydrogen production volumes will make this exercise more cost-competitive, in addition to realizing emission reductions.