In a move that speaks to the importance of hydrogen as a viable fueling option—not just for consumer vehicles, but the automotive sector as a whole—Nikola Corporation has teamed up with ITD Industries to open a commercial hydrogen refuelling station for heavy-duty trucks in Ontario.
The company, a provider of zero-emissions transportation and energy supply and infrastructure solutions, said it was the first such station in the province. It is located at ITD Industries (a manufacturer of truck trailers, commercials vans and more) in Etobicoke at 161 The West Mall.
“Collaborating with ITD Industries, we are not only providing trucks but also the fueling solutions to support the entire hydrogen ecosystem,” said Nikola CEO Steve Girsky in a statement. “This station marks significant progress in our mission to build a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure in North America.”
Outside the trucking industry, few manufacturers offer hydrogen fuel-cell-powered vehicles for consumers in Canada. Toyota’s Mirai is one option; Hyundai’s Nexo is another. However, Toyota has been persistent in its exploration of fuel cells. And Honda presented its fuel cell technology via the Clarity model in June 2017 at a Ride-N-Drive in Ottawa, Ont., in collaboration with The Canadian Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) Coalition of automakers.
The push to have this alternative fueling option in Canada within the trucking industry highlights that interest in this area has not died down.
In a news release, Nikola Corporation said the new hydrogen refuelling station uses a 700-bar pressure-fill system. They do this to ensure the hydrogen fuel can be dispensed into onboard storage for long-range vehicles.
Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford attended the special launch event, along with Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries of Ontario, and several other people — such as business leaders from Canadian Tire, Loblaws, and Walmart Canada. The latter is the first major retailer in the country to use a Nikola hydrogen fuel cell electric truck in its fleet.
“This station is the first of several ITD is planning on erecting across Ontario with Nikola Corporation as we aim to build a hydrogen fuelling corridor connecting Windsor to Montréal,” said Philip Turi, COO of ITD Industries, during the opening remarks.
