Quantron's H2-Powered Truck, Fueling Solution

Quantron U.S., a subsidiary of Germany-based Quantron AG, has inked a deal for hydrogen fueling infrastructure to bring its fuel-cell-electric trucks to the U.S.

Quantron and FirstElement Fuel, a supplier of retail hydrogen to fuel cell electric vehicle operators announced that Quantron will leverage FirstElement’s network of fueling stations designed for its hydrogen fuel-cell electric trucks.

The two firms discussed their two-step solution for operators to easily transition to carbon-free hydrogen fleets at the recent ACT Expo in Anaheim, California, where they showcased Quantron’s new hydrogen fuel-cell electric semi-truck.

When complete, Quantron said it expects its trucks—with 80kg of hydrogen fuel onboard—will offer a range of about 750 to 850 miles on a 100 kg tank system. The company also said it should require only 10 to 15 minutes for refueling to 100% capacity, which would be “comparable to current diesel trucks on the road today and significantly quicker than electric vehicles.”

The announcement expands “Quantron-as-a-Service,” which the company called a “360-degree per-mile service that gives fleet owners access to everything required to transition to hydrogen.”

H2 Infrastructure for FCEV Truck

“By working with FirstElement, we are able to overcome the modern infrastructure challenge that limits the potential of other alternative energy sources – access to a reliable refueling network,” said Quantron U.S. President & CEO Rick Haas. “FirstElement’s hydrogen network will allow drivers to seamlessly refuel and get back on the road, just like they would with diesel today, only now they’ll go further with zero-emission fuel.”

Saying that fuel cells will play a huge role in the zero-emission truck future, Joel Ewanick, CEO of FirstElement Fuel, said, "Hydrogen fueling needs to be reliable and uncomplicated, and our network will provide that convenience for Quantron’s customers so that they can offer this experience to many more operators. and we are excited to be working with Quantron."

Quantron U.S. is focusing on building Class 8 hydrogen fuel-cell trucks, according to Michael Perschke, Quantron AG CEO.

"After we found some early success in Europe, we started considering the vast potential for hydrogen fuel solutions in North America," he said. “North American-based businesses depend on heavy cargo loads over long routes. As we are already the technical leader in Europe with our benchmark range of 700 km in Europe, we transferred this DNA into the U.S.A. And we looked for a partner… to build our H2 fueling capacity with the market and technical leader and, thereby, First Element was the natural choice.”