The Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has launched the newest iteration of its industry-supported Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine consortium, H2-ICE2.

In 2024, SwRI’s H2-ICE consortium completed construction of a Class 8, heavy-duty hydrogen-powered vehicle, following 18 months of targeted development.

Hydrogen Power for Heavy Trucks 

The demonstration vehicle achieves ultra-low nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions without sacrificing commercial viability. 

The consortium’s next iteration — “H2-ICE2” — will build on its prior success by enhancing and refining the vehicle’s overall performance and efficiency.

H2-ICE2 gathers transportation industry leaders to advance sustainable mobility through innovative hydrogen engine technology. The consortium will continue to prove the potential for H2-ICE vehicles to complement other zero-emission vehicle technologies while supporting engine and truck manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers, and providers of fuels and lubricants with a realistic roadmap to decarbonization.

“We have been developing internal combustion engines for more than 100 years,” noted Daniel Stewart, vice president of SwRI’s Powertrain Engineering Division. “H2-ICE is a particularly attractive solution because industry can leverage the production lines and component suppliers that are already in place worldwide to manufacture trucks,” “H2-ICE is a viable, zero-emission solution that is available today.”

Diesel-Like Performance

In 2024, SwRI’s H2-ICE truck toured the country, sharing with the long-haul trucking industry an alternative heavy-duty vehicle option that produces zero greenhouse gas emissions without sacrificing performance.

After it launches, H2-ICE2 will spend the next two years refining the demonstration vehicle’s overall performance and efficiency with enhanced testing and systems refinement.

“The first H2-ICE consortium focused on developing the hydrogen-fueled engine and showing what you can do with it in terms of performance and emissions,” said Ryan Williams, a manager in SwRI’s Powertrain Engineering Division. “With H2-ICE2, the team wants to show people that the truck is more than just a showpiece. It’s a functional and practical piece of equipment ready to meet their needs.”

Between now and December 2026, the H2-ICE2 consortium will investigate the vehicle’s capacity to maintain performance, manage heat and sustain efficiency under various real-world conditions.

Real-World Evaluation Trials

The consortium will also evaluate vehicle performance during cold starts, continuous ascent, low-demand or no-load operations, and other conditions commercial trucking vehicles experience. 

SwRI plans to test and improve the vehicle’s performance without developing a new engine or significantly changing the hardware.

“This is very much a holistic, vehicle-based consortium, not just an engine research consortium,” said Edward M. Smith III, a principal engineer with SwRI’s Powertrain Systems Engineering Department and H2-ICE2 program manager. “We plan to exercise the existing vehicle to identify challenges and opportunities unique to operating an H2-ICE powered vehicle and engineer their solutions.”

On March 27, SwRI will hold a free launch meeting for current and prospective members to learn more about H2-ICE2’s goals and overarching vision.

Visit the H2-ICE2 consortium webpage to register to attend at SwRI in San Antonio.

“It’s the perfect time for members to join,” Smith added. “We already have seen several aspects of the vehicle that we can adjust or improve. For instance, we are considering strategies for improved torque response and how to institute a rapid warm-up mode to reduce emissions even further. The combined knowledge of our consortium’s membership can help us advance development and overcome technical hurdles, paving the road to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”