General Motors, Honda Launch Hydrogen Fuel Cell Production for Trucks

Samuel Mobolaji

General Motors (GM) and Honda have begun production of hydrogen fuel cells at a plant in Brownstown, Michigan, as part of a collaboration to power commercial trucks, heavy machinery and generators.

The GM-Honda partnership, known as Fuel Cell Systems Manufacturing LLC, has begun its journey with an innovative product: a hydrogen fuel cell module.

The primary focus is on industrial applications, passenger vehicles will also be developed, such as the hydrogen-powered Honda CR-V, which is set to debut in March 2024. This model will initially be available in limited quantities in California.

Fuel cell technology offers a sustainable alternative to traditional fuel, contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions, with the potential to expand into key markets in the coming years. Hydrogen is gaining ground as a viable alternative for certain transportation sectors, although its mass adoption in cars and vans is still limited.

As industries look for cleaner, more sustainable options, hydrogen fuel cells offer advantages that battery electric vehicles cannot match in some cases. With greater range and significantly shorter refuelling times, this technology could be especially useful in sectors such as long-distance transport and heavy-duty work, where downtime is costly and must be minimized.

Hydrogen advocates argue that a well-distributed fuel station infrastructure could make fuel cells competitive with diesel engines, which currently dominate these sectors.

In a world moving toward a zero-carbon future, this element is emerging as a solution that has the potential to revolutionize the way energy is generated and consumed in industrial and heavy transport applications. If this infrastructure can be developed, hydrogen could become a key pillar of the modern economy, driving both transportation and clean energy generation.

These cells can be integrated into finished products or resold to other companies for various applications. Honda aims to sell 2,000 of these new fuel cells by 2025, with about 25 percent going to its CR-V model, which will be assembled at the Performance Manufacturing Centre in Ohio.

To its focus on passenger vehicles, Honda is actively exploring applications in other sectors. The company is looking at opportunities in the commercial vehicle market, construction machinery and stationary power generation.