GM and Komatsu to develop hydrogen-powered mining truck

General Motors and industrial equipment manufacturer Komatsu have announced that they will be collaborating on the development of a hydrogen fuel cell power module for Komatsu's 930E electric drive mining truck.

The vehicle is said to be the world's best-selling ultra-class haul truck, and both firms will jointly design and validate the technology. The first prototype of the hydrogen-powered mining vehicle is set to be tested at Komatsu's Arizona Proving Grounds by the mid-2020s. It will be powered by over 2MW of the Hydrotec power cubes.

Fuel cells are said to be an excellent zero tailpipe emissions solution for vehicles with extreme hauling requirements such as the Komatsu 930E mining truck, with its nominal payload of 320 tons. These vehicles also typically operate at a single mine throughout their life, which simplifies the challenges of sizing and deploying an effective hydrogen refuelling infrastructure to service the vehicle fleet.

General Motors has been conducting fuel cell research and product development for more than 50 years and is one of the only companies with advanced, homegrown technology platforms for both lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. GM and Komatsu believe these complimentary technologies can help spur the adoption of lower-emission mobility solutions and help other industries beyond passenger vehicles meet their sustainability goals.