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In a partnership with Accelera™ by Cummins, a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title has been set for the longest distance traveled by a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) heavy-duty truck without refueling. This prototype truck, designed for emergency response missions, is part of a collaborative project between the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office and Vehicle Technologies Office, the U.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems (GVSC) Center, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and Accelera™ by Cummins.
H2Rescue is a zero-emission, fuel cell-powered emergency vehicle designed to offer critical relief in a time of emergency and natural disasters. On October 25, 2024, H2Rescue successfully completed a 1,806-mile journey on a single hydrogen fill, setting a record in a brand new category. The truck is powered by an Accelera fuel cell engine and a 250kW traction motor, which results in zero emissions.
“This is such a great accomplishment,” said Nick Josefik, an ERDC-CERL industrial engineer and H2Rescue team lead. “This project started with an idea on paper when we saw some of the wildfires that were ravaging California. A group of researchers from the different federal agencies came together and said ‘how can we create something that could support those emergency situations,’ and now, five years later, that idea set a world record. Words cannot explain how amazing this accomplishment is for the H2Rescue team.”
This record-setting endeavor marks the introduction of a new category for GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ and was meticulously supervised by adjudicator Michael Empric. H2Rescue’s journey from Oakland, California, to West Sacramento, California, was conducted under strict regulations, with Empric verifying the truck’s hydrogen tank was sealed throughout the entire trip.
“With this world record, we're showing that hydrogen can be a viable clean energy source for vehicle transportation, and it's just so exciting to see what we accomplish when we work together,” Josefik shared. “Who knew that in 2019, when we drew this up on paper and started talking about it, that the culmination would be a world record, it is just very exciting.”
“This shows what partnerships between different federal agencies and the private sector can overcome and what we can achieve when we work together to develop these technologies to advance emergency preparedness and strengthen our nation’s ability to respond to these natural disasters,” Josefik said.
“Industry collaboration and real-world testing are essential to refine innovations, allowing groundbreaking solutions to reach the market,” said Prateek Vaish, Technical lead for Accelera on the H2Rescue program. “Together with the ERDC, we've achieved a key milestone in demonstrating hydrogen technology's potential for zero-emissions transportation. From engineering and testing to refining and evolving technologies, our shared goals are building the foundation for a sustainable, zero-emissions future."
“Alternative power generating solutions will be needed when responding to future disaster events,” said Ron Langhelm, DHS S&T Program Manager. “This project brought together an energetic group of science, engineering, and mission experts on a collaborative effort to bring H2Rescue to life. It continues to demonstrate options and opportunities for the development and deployment of cutting-edge solutions into the disaster resilience environment.”
“H2Rescue's successful completion of this record setting evaluation demonstrates the strength of interagency collaboration and public/private partnerships,” said Eric Wasiloff, U.S Army GVSC Project Manager. “We look forward to transitioning lessons learned throughout this project to future fuel cell systems and joint efforts.”
Researchers from ERDC-CERL tested H2Rescue during two demonstrations of 180-mile round trip drives in 2023. The truck's high-capacity hydrogen tank system enabled it to complete an 180-mile round trip, while also supporting a minimum of 25 kW of continuous electrical load for 72 hours. In April 2024, H2Rescue was demonstrated on Capitol Hill at the World Fire Congress to showcase an alternative technology to global decision makers who support emergency efforts
| Date Taken: | 11.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.15.2024 16:22 |
| Story ID: | 485270 |
| Location: | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 10 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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