The first Class 8 zero emissions vehicles have made it to the summit of Pikes Peak according to PACCAR.
A Kenworth T680 fuel cell electric vehicle and a battery electric Peterbilt Model 579EV climbed the 14,115 feet peak in Colorado over the weekend, making them the first commercial vehicles in the American heavy vehicle category to achieve the feat.
Taking in 156 twisting turns and switchbacks during the 4,700 foot ascent, both trucks handily negotiated grades of between seven to ten per cent over the famous 20 kilometre Pikes Peak International Hill Climb course.
“We are very excited about the work Kenworth and Peterbilt have done in the development of zero emissions technology,” said Kyle Quinn, PACCAR Chief Technology Officer.
“Conquering Pikes Peak demonstrates PACCAR’s leadership in fuel cell and commercial vehicle electrification,” he said.
The Kenworth T680 fuel cell electric vehicle offers 470 hp and a 563 kilometre range with a 15-minute refill time.
At present Kenworth and Toyota Motor North America are collaborating on a project to develop ten zero emissions Kenworth T680 trucks powered by Toyota hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrains.
“It’s a great accomplishment for the Kenworth T680 fuel cell electric vehicle to summit Pikes Peak. The Kenworth T680 trucks will be placed in operation with our customers at the Port of Los Angeles over the next few months,” said Kevin Baney, Kenworth General Manager and PACCAR Vice President.
Baney confirmed the comprehensive Kenworth zero emissions program also includes the Class 8 Kenworth T680E and medium-duty Kenworth K270E and K370E battery electric vehicles.
The Peterbilt Model 579EV features a fully integrated, all-electric powertrain that uses thermally-controlled Lithium Iron Phosphate battery packs to provide a range up to 240 kilometres.
When used in conjunction with a recommended DC fast-charger, the state-of-the-art, high-energy density battery packs can be recharged in under four hours, making the Model 579EV ideal for regional haul, port, pickup and delivery and last mile operations. T
The Model 579EV delivers up to 670 hp and features regenerative braking that allowed the battery packs to recharge while descending from the peak, offering extended range according to PACCAR.
There are currently 22 Peterbilt Model 579EVs on the road with over 80,000 kilometres of real-world customer operations.
“Taking the Peterbilt Model 579EV to the summit of ‘America’s Mountain’ is an important milestone for Peterbilt and our entire lineup of battery electric commercial vehicles. Being the first battery electric Class 8 truck to climb to the top of Pikes Peak is further validation of all the real-world miles Peterbilt has accumulated across our entire EV test fleet and demonstrates we are ready to deliver production vehicles to our customers next year,” said Jason Skoog, Peterbilt General Manager and PACCAR Vice President.