Here's a huge reason why we need electric trucks https://t.co/cRvgtCtWUW pic.twitter.com/zL3Urr0s0d
— Jalopnik (@Jalopnik) July 10, 2017
New footage has been released of one of Toyota's "Project Portal" tests of a hydrogen fuel-cell big-rig truck vs. a traditional diesel truck, and it is astounding.
Both trucks have the same gross weight and are otherwise identical, but on launch, the electric-powered truck blows past the diesel. How?
Toyota's prototype generates over 670 horsepower and 1,325 pound-feet of torque, putting it about on par with a diesel truck. However, since the power is generated by electricity, all that torque is available right when the driver's foot hits the pedal, without needing to spin up through gears.
This "electric" truck actually uses two Toyota Mirai fuel cells. In essence, it does use electricity, but that electricity comes from hydrogen, not a battery. There are a few pros and cons to using hydrogen, like the fact that hydrogen needs to be sourced from somewhere that may or may not be sustainable, but its fueling time is under an hour, giving it a big advantage over a battery pack that takes half a day to recharge.
