Gemini Motor plans for autonomous hydrogen fuel cell trucks
The first prototype is currently under development and will be available for testing next year.
Gemini Motor Company announced its plans to launch a fleet of autonomous hydrogen fuel cell trucks by 2025.
The RoboTruck, Gemini’s first product in line, will have a range of up to 1,400 miles and can be refuelled in less than 20 minutes. Since no drivers are involved, the fleet of RoboTrucks can operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week, quadrupling the operational efficiency of each unit over the conventional human-driven trucks. In addition, no driver cabin is required, which results in a significant drop in capital costs at volume production, mitigating the additional cost of AV sensors and compute equipment.
The combination of L4/L5 autonomy and zero-emission ‘long-range’ powertrains will transform the future of transportation in ways we can only imagine,
For a frame of reference, Rafiee explained that adding 20,000 Gemini RoboTrucks to the industry would benefit our environment by adding 3 million new battery-electric passenger vehicles on US roads.
Using a software-centric approach that incorporates self-learning and sensor fusion, the Gemini AI runs vehicles autonomously, performs predictive maintenance, and maximises fuel efficiency while meeting the highest safety standards. Gemini Motor is currently working with AV partners to develop its AV stack, which will be ready for early testing later this summer.
The patented design is the first in the world to consider a full 2.75 meter-high front shutter that enables surface cooling for the radiator array, while the exhaust air vents through the side channels, eliminating the need for constant fan operation. This unique design enables a highly efficient cooling system, improving fuel efficiency. Additionally, fuel efficiency is improved through autonomous driving, which has already been proven to reduce fuel consumption by 10-15% in diesel-powered trucks.
Using hydrogen fuel cells enables Gemini to go greener, farther, and faster. Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) significantly reduce the need for battery minerals and avoid electricity rate increases due to grid upgrades. FCEVs refuel faster, have a longer range and require far less infrastructure compared to battery-electric vehicles.
Alex Rafiee, CEO and Co-founder of Gemini, said, “For the first time, we can accelerate decarbonisation in transportation by combining two technologies that enable our zero-emission fleet to maximise utilisation up to 97% of the time in a 24-hour day. This level of extreme utilisation dramatically reduces CO2 emissions, shipping costs, and freight congestion, all at once.”
Gemini’s co-founder Maik Ziegler, said, “Only fuel cell electric propulsion will give us the driving range and fast refuelling needed to harvest the 24/7 operation benefits of an autonomous truck.”
California-based Gemini Motor is a cleantech company building autonomous, zero-emission semi-trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
