Annalisa Stupenengo, CEO of FPT Industrial, was protagonist on 14 December in the press and on the web with a fascinating interview that dealt with the role of hydrogen in sustainable long-range, heavy-duty transport and its prospects in the immediate future. Plied with questions from Christian Benna on the pages of the Corriere della Sera Turin edition and in live streaming on the corresponding LinkedIn channel, Annalisa Stupenengo illustrated the Brand's current and future strategies in terms of fuel systems for heavy-duty vehicles with hydrogen fuel cell technology and outlined an effective overview of the other “green” fuels currently available for this type of mission: including diesel.
First of all, Stupenengo reminded listeners of how FPT Industrial is able to boast almost twenty years of experience in hydrogen fuel cell powerplant systems. In fact, the project conducted with IVECO BUS to create a hydrogen bus dates back to 2001: a project that led to the creation of a fleet of buses used during the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. Another significant experience is the one conducted with New Holland in 2009 to create the NH₂ prototype: the first tractor in the world driven by an electric motor powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
This technology – according to what the CEO had to say – not only proved to be the most versatile, but also the most suitable for meeting sustainable long-range transport needs. In fact, a heavy-duty long-haul vehicle must transport goods without sacrificing space and cargo space to carry enormous batteries. With hydrogen fuel cells, on the other hand, electrical energy is produced on board the vehicle. And there are zero emissions. This is a difference that truly makes a difference, as long as the specific infrastructures exist for hydrogen production, distribution and supply. On this subject, Stupenengo announced that FPT Industrial, along with the major European and global players in the transport, infrastructures and logistics sector, have joined the coalition which promotes the use and distribution of hydrogen as an alternative “green” fuel. This is an initiative that is fully supported by the European Union, which has already allocated €180 billion for this area.
And while the first hydrogen fuel cell trucks with FPT Industrial technology will be on the road in early 2022, at the end of the interview, Annalisa Stupenengo provided a general overview of the current possibilities in terms of sustainable long-range transport. LNG engines and vehicles, for which FPT Industrial and IVECO are absolute leaders in Europe, are currently the most widespread and feasible alternatives, thanks to a range of 1,600 km with a fuel tank and a constantly expanding distribution network. And what about diesel? According to Stupenengo, it is anything but dead; however, thanks to continuous specific technological development, it will become increasingly cleaner and more efficient.
To hear and see the full interview, click here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/corriere-torino/?originalSubdomain=it