Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2024 - 3

TECHNICAL
INNOVATIONS
SAE INTERNATIONAL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Carla Bailo
President
Robert Ireland
2025 President
Todd Zarfos
2023 President
Christopher Payne
Vice President - Aerospace
Daniel Nicholson
Vice President - Automotive
Audley Brown
Vice President -
Commercial Vehicle
David Andrea
Treasurer
David L. Schutt, Ph.D
Chief Executive Officer
Gregory L. Bradley, Esq.
Secretary
Judy Curran
Mary Lee Gambone
Joan Wills
Susan Ying, Ph.D
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In the latest announcement from General
Motors regarding commercialization of its longstanding
hydrogen fuel-cell research and development,
it and commercial-vehicle specialist
Komatsu said they are collaborating to co-develop
a hydrogen fuel-cell power module for
Komatsu's 930E electric-drive mining truck, the
world's best-selling " ultra-class " hauling truck.
The companies intend to jointly design and validate
the truck's onboard fuel-cell system that
will generate up to 2 megawatts of power for
the massive mining trucks, many of which spend
their entire service life at the same site.
The two companies intend to test the first
prototype - powered by a modular array of
GM's Hydrotec fuel-cell " power cubes " - in the
mid-2020s at Komatsu's Arizona Proving
Grounds (AZPG) research-and-development
facility. In a video conference with the media,
Charlie Freese, executive director of GM's
Global Hydrotec business, and Dan Funcannon,
vice president of North America engineering
and development for Tokyo, Japanheadquartered
Komatsu, declined to say when
production versions of the fuel cell-powered
hauler might be available or to provide financial
specifics of the deal.
Funcannon said that Komatsu has been developing
a " power-agnostic " platform for its
mining truck - which has a massive nominal
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
payload of 320 tons - and the initiative will
help the company meet its target of reducing
its global emissions footprint by 50% by 2030
and to become carbon-neutral by 2050. He
said the fuel-cell collaboration with GM is an
example of the company's desire to use " the
best technologies for individual mine types and
applications. " He added that Komatsu is developing
the fuel cell-powered 930E truck with
the intent for global deployment, adding that
fuel cells have many potential applications for
mining environments.
Komatsu's current 930E-5 dump truck is propelled
by electric motors at each drive wheel.
The power for the truck's drive motors is generated
by a 16-cylinder Komatsu-made diesel engine
that develops 2,700 hp (2,013 kW).
" Finding new ways to power the equipment
our customers need to do the vital work of
mining and construction is a critical part of our
commitment to supporting a more sustainable
future, " Funcannon said. " This is essential work
that requires cross-industry collaboration, and
we are excited to be working with GM on this
important solution for a haulage offering without
tailpipe emissions. "
GM's Freese said, " Mining trucks are among
the largest, most capable vehicles used in any
industry, and we believe hydrogen fuel cells are
best suited to deliver zero-emissions propulsion
February 2024 3
PROPULSION
GM supplies fuel cells for Komatsu mining haulers and
Autocar vocational trucks
GM and Komatsu will jointly develop
a hydrogen fuel cell-powered
variant of Komatsu's massive
" ultra class " 930E electric-drive
mining dump truck.
KOMATSU
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Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2024

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