New Way and Hyzon unveil first hydrogen fuel cell refuse truck

Scranton, Iowa-based New Way Trucks, a refuse truck body manufacturers and Rochester, New York-based Hyzon, a hydrogen fuel cell technology developer and global supplier of zero-emission powertrains, are showcasing North America’s first hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric refuse truck at WasteExpo, running through May 9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

This debut to the U.S. market follows February’s announcement of a joint development agreement between New Way and Hyzon, combining both companies’ expertise and industry leadership to develop a zero-emission refuse collection vehicle solution.

“As a growing market leader with a long history in building high-performance refuse collection equipment, New Way is in a unique position to be able to bring this sustainable, alternative power solution to waste haulers looking to meet decarbonization objectives and other clean energy requirements,” says Don Ross, New Way chief sales officer.

Hyzon’s high-performance hydrogen fuel cells provide consistent power over 125 miles, the company says, including up to 1,200 cart lifts and trips to the transfer station. The technology has been integrated into New Way’s most-requested automated side loader, the Sidewinder XTR, with up to 12-foot reach and a large, 6-cubic-yard hopper.

“Building on Hyzon’s fuel cell electric refuse vehicle experience in Australia, Hyzon and New Way’s strategic partnership assembled a historic vehicle to eliminate emissions within a hard-to-abate industry,” Hyzon CEO Parker Meeks says. “This is evidence of our shared mission to provide North American refuse collection fleets with an alternative power solution that both meets zero emissions requirements and performs the hard work a refuse truck needs to deliver day in and day out.”

After WasteExpo, the truck will test on routes in California starting with Recology, a San Francisco-based solid waste and recycling collection and processing company. The company recently achieved its goal to power its fleet with more than 90 percent renewable or alternative fuels.

“As a leader in fleet sustainability, we’re proud to partner with New Way and Hyzon to bring the first hydrogen fuel cell electric collection vehicle to test in our communities in California,” Recology CEO Sal Coniglio says. “Recology has been preparing to transition our fleet to zero-emission vehicles for nearly six years, and we’ve yet to see a hydrogen fuel cell-powered refuse truck on the market during that time. This development is a major milestone, and we’re thrilled to be the first to demo this technology to help move our business and the industry forward.”