Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) launches Canada’s first Hydrogen Commercial Vehicle Demonstrations

Government officials, Alberta-based commercial carriers, project partners and supporters, industry stakeholders, and AMTA Board management, and staff gathered on February 10 to officially launch Canada’s first heavy-duty alternative fuel demonstrations.

The AMTA-led Hydrogen Commercial Vehicle Demonstrations Project, in collaboration with the Association’s project partners, will provide commercial carriers with opportunities to use and test Class 8 vehicles that operate with alternative, energy-efficient fuels (hydrogen) within their business operations.

Over the two-year project, these trials will collect and evaluate data concerning the performance of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles on Alberta roads, payloads, and weather conditions. It will also address challenges around fuel cell reliability, infrastructure, and vehicle cost and maintenance.

As modern technologies continue to evolve, our industry must adapt and adjust accordingly. The need to keep pace with innovative technologies in the commercial transportation industry requires a collaborative approach.

AMTA works closely with a broad range of stakeholders to identify and research critical and emerging opportunities that support the commercial transportation sector; this includes collaborating to propose and implement data-driven solutions that meet the needs and challenges of our industry and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“AMTA is pleased to lead this project, which introduces this innovative technology to our carriers in a low-risk and cost-effective way. This project will help Canada reach its 2050 net-zero goals and support the widespread adoption of zero-emission commercial vehicles.”

• Doug Paisley – Board Chair
  Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA)

“Our government is proud to be investing in this and other initiatives that further position Alberta as a global leader in the hydrogen industry. This includes being at the forefront of using hydrogen fuel in real-life applications such as buses, freight trucks and other heavy equipment. Through our collaboration and partnership with the Alberta Motor Transport Association, we’re assisting Alberta’s transportation sector in benefiting from hydrogen powered technology, while creating sustainable economic growth, and creating good-paying jobs for Alberta workers.”

• Honourable Dan Vandal – Minister for PrairiesCan
  Government of Canada

“The Edmonton region is the heart of Alberta’s hydrogen economy, and our government is committed to supporting that expertise and capability through this initiative. Today’s launch is a key step in capitalizing on the opportunity of hydrogen technology to help reduce emissions while supporting the sustainability and competitiveness of our commercial vehicle sector.”

• Honourable Randy Boissonnault – Minister of Tourism and
  Associate Minister of Finance
  Government of Canada

“The AMTA are innovators who have helped build Alberta’s diverse economy. Our government is proud to partner with the Association, as it helps creates jobs, provides valuable skills training for drivers and other workers, and paves the way for Alberta’s growing hydrogen and technology sector.”

• Honourable Brian Jean – Minister of Jobs,
  Economy, and Northern Development
  Government of Alberta

“Alberta has the right resources, talent, and capacity to become a leader in the fast-growing and game-changing hydrogen industry. Through this initiative and others, AMTA and its partners are helping ensure a healthy pipeline of hydrogen technologies across the value chain continue to advance towards commercialization.”

• Justin Riemer, CEO
  Emissions Reduction Alberta

“Hyzon is proud to support AMTA’s forward-thinking project, accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles in Alberta. Helping carriers deploy Hyzon’s heavy-duty trucks, powered by our proprietary fuel cell technology, in their regular operations provides valuable real-world data to customers and to Hyzon.”

• Parker Meeks – President and Interim CEO
  Hyzon Motors

“We are so glad AMTA member fleets will be able to test out a cost-effective, near-term option with Hydra’s hydrogen-diesel co-combustion retrofit over the next two years. Having already been on the road in Prince George, BC, since 2016, Hydra entered the Edmonton market with our first fleet customer, VEXSL, last summer. We are confident that, through these demonstrations, other fleets in Alberta will see the benefit of transitioning their vehicles to hydrogen as we scale up Hydra’s Hydrogen Corridor along Highway 16.”

• Jessica Verhagen, CEO
  Hydra Energy

“Nikola Corporation is pleased to be part of the Hydrogen Commercial Vehicle Demonstrations Project to help with the adoption of zero-emission trucks into the Alberta and Canadian markets. Nikola is committed to the decarbonization of the heavy transportation industry with our state-of-the-art Class 8 battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, in addition to our HYLA-branded hydrogen distribution and dispensing solutions. It is collaborations like these between trucking associations, fleet owners, zero-emission OEMs, and hydrogen-refueling solution providers that will help provinces across Canada reach sufficient heavy-duty ZEV adoption levels to establish a viable hydrogen economy.”

• Carey Mendes, President – Energy
  Nikola Corporation