Canadian retail giant Loblaw Companies Ltd. and energy utility FortisBC Energy Inc. have teamed up to launch British Columbia’s first long-term commercial demonstration of a hydrogen-powered Class 8 heavy-duty truck, marking a significant step towards zero-emission freight transport.
The project was officially unveiled at Loblaw’s Marine Drive distribution centre in Vancouver, gathering representatives from industry, government and project partners. The initiative, supported by FortisBC’s Clean Growth Innovation Fund, began earlier this fall and aims to test real-world performance of hydrogen fuel in daily retail delivery operations.
Since mid-October, the demonstration truck has operated on regular routes between the Lower Mainland and Squamish, covering hundreds of kilometres of zero-emission deliveries. The data gathered on fuelling, performance, and efficiency will help guide future infrastructure and vehicle deployments in the province.
The collaboration involves a broad group of organisations, including HTEC, the Alberta Motor Transport Association, the BC Trucking Association, Deloitte, Transport Canada, the province of British Columbia, and Hyundai Motor Company. Funding support includes contributions from Transport Canada’s Zero Emission Trucking Program and B.C.’s Innovative Clean Energy Fund, which helped finance the Hyundai Xcient Fuel Cell truck used in the trial.
Operated by Loblaw and refuelled at HTEC’s hydrogen station in Vancouver, the demonstration will continue through late 2025. The aim is to generate operational insights that can guide the broader deployment of hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure across British Columbia’s freight sector.
This project signals a growing commitment to decarbonising commercial transport in Canada and particularly in British Columbia. By demonstrating the viability of hydrogen-fuelled heavy-duty trucks in everyday logistics operations, stakeholders hope to accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels in the freight industry.
