Verne, a hydrogen technology company based in San Francisco, Calif., unveiled its ‘world’s first’ cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH2) truck at the Alberta Motor Transport Association’s first Industry Innovations Expo in Edmonton, Alta., on Sept. 26.

The CcH2 truck achieves double the hydrogen storage density of traditional 700-bar systems by operating at 350 bar, combined with cryogenic temperatures. This cryo-compression process allows hydrogen to be stored at much lower pressure while maintaining high density, Verne’s co-founder and chief operating officer Bav Roy said at the event.

“It’s double the range, and that’s because we’re operating at liquid nitrogen temperatures. So what this means is that that one tank…can double the range of every single hydrogen vehicle that we see today,” he said.

The double density would allow fleets to either double the range with the same tank size or travel the same distance with half the tank capacity. “That means less weight, less cost, and so we can get the same range whilst minimizing all the storage,” Roy said, adding that CcH2 also allows hydrogen to be stored in the same spaces as diesel.

Dual-fuel system

“Fleets don’t want to pay for extra tanks and valves, so this high density allows for unique designs, so we’re able to store hydrogen in exactly the same place that diesel is [in] today.”

The truck features Diesel Tech Industries’ (DTI) Guardian hydrogen-diesel system, allowing fleets to trial hydrogen fuel and operations without additional infrastructure investments.

This dual-fuel system can be retrofitted without changing the truck’s wheelbase, addressing customer needs for greater range and fewer tanks while still allowing for the use of sleeper cabs. Edmonton-based DTI received $2 million in funding from Alberta Innovates through its Hydrogen Centre of Excellence program, contingent on meeting key project milestones, according to a related press release.

Capabilities testing underway

Verne plans to demonstrate both the range and payload improvements of CcH2 through trials with DTI’s system, as well as commercial pilots involving dual-fuel engines, hydrogen combustion engines, and fuel cells, partnering with vehicle manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada.

After testing in California, the truck will head to Alberta for winter testing in late 2025 and early 2026. “We really want to put this truck to the limits,” Roy said.

Further speaking about a broader issue of hydrogen adoption, he said hydrogen prices need to become more competitive with diesel for broader adoption.

“We can work on the vehicle technology as much as possible, but if the fuel is more expensive than diesel, that’s going to limit adoption,” Roy said, adding that Verne is now focusing on how to reduce the costs of delivering hydrogen, in addition to its work on hydrogen production.