The world's first zero-emissions semi truck takes to the road!

 Amogy, a Brooklyn-based company, has unveiled the "World's first ammonia-electric semi packs" - a semi-truck powered by ammonia that boasts a system-level energy density 5 times higher than batteries. The vehicle has a energy capacity of 900 kWh, similar to the Tesla Semi, but can be refueled in just eight minutes. Ammonia is known to be a more efficient way to store hydrogen, making it a promising solution for industries that require high-density energy and a cleaner alternative.

In addition to its ability to be refueled quickly, Amogy's "World's first ammonia-electric semi-packs" also have the advantage of being easier to handle and transport due to its liquid form at ambient temperature and pressure. This is in contrast to hydrogen, which must be compressed to high pressures or kept extremely cold to be stored and transported. Ammonia also has a higher energy density than hydrogen, with a volume-carrying capacity three times greater and a weight-carrying degree more than 20 times greater than current lithium batteries.

Amy's "World's first ammonia-electric semi packs" are not only easy to store, transport, and handle but also have the potential to be a clean fuel alternative for heavy industries, such as shipping and aviation. This is because ammonia can be produced cleanly, and can be used as a fuel in various ways, emitting zero harmful emissions. Green ammonia is considered a promising alternative, as it overcomes the limitations of batteries and hydrogen gas, which cannot provide enough energy for specific applications.

Amogy, the company behind the "World's first ammonia-electric semi-packs", was established in 2020 with the goal of promoting the use of green ammonia as a source of clean energy for transportation. The company has been working on developing the technology and by July 2021, it had already achieved success with a 5-kW ammonia drone in May 2022, it achieved another milestone by developing a 100-kW ammonia tractor.

Building on its previous successes, Amogy has now scaled up its ammonia powertrain to 300 kW and presented it in the form of the "world's first ammonia-powered, zero-emission semi-truck" which is a 2018 Freightliner Cascadia Class 8 truck that has been retrofitted with an ammonia fuel system. The system has been incorporated in such a way that it does not add significant bulk to the standard truck, and it is placed under the cabin and stacked up behind it.

Developed by Amogy can be refueled in just eight minutes and carries around 900 kWh of total stored net electric energy, which is roughly the same as the energy stored in Tesla Semi's lithium battery packs. According to Amogy, their "carbon-free energy system" has a system-level energy density that is five times higher than that of lithium batteries. This means that the semi-truck is likely to be significantly lighter than the Tesla Semi.

It is difficult to compare the performance of the Amogy ammonia-powered truck to the Tesla Semi without more information on the performance and range estimates for the Amogy truck. However, ammonia has the potential to be a more efficient and cost-effective fuel source for heavy transport compared to batteries. Ammonia has a higher energy density and can be produced from renewable resources, making it a potentially more sustainable option for heavy-duty transportation. However, further research and development are needed to fully evaluate the potential of ammonia as a fuel source for heavy transport.

Yes, you are correct that there will be inefficiencies in the Amogy powertrain compared to battery-electric vehicles. The process of converting ammonia to hydrogen and then using it in a fuel cell to generate electricity will result in some energy losses. Additionally, the fuel cell itself also has some inherent energy losses.

It's important to note that the 900 kWh "total stored net electric energy" value is a theoretical maximum energy storage capacity based on the amount of ammonia that can be stored on the truck, and it does not reflect the actual energy that will be available to power the electric motors.

Therefore, it is likely that the actual energy available for propulsion will be less than 900 kWh due to energy losses in the ammonia cracking and hydrogen purification process, as well as losses in the fuel cell. Real-world testing will give us a better understanding of these losses and the actual energy efficiency of the powertrain.

The information you provided is a hypothetical scenario based on assumptions about the technologies and efficiencies used by Amogy. The actual performance of the Amogy truck will depend on the specific technologies and efficiencies used in its powertrain.

As you mentioned, the best-case ammonia cracking efficiency is 76% according to the Ammonia Energy Association, but this may not be achievable in a truck-sized cracking reactor. Similarly, the fuel cell efficiency of 65% you mentioned is a high-end estimate, and the actual efficiency of the fuel cell used in the Amogy truck may be lower.

It's important to note that the actual performance of the Amogy truck, including its range and energy efficiency, will not be known until the full-scale real-world performance evaluation on a test track.

Additionally, the comparison with the Tesla Semi is not straightforward as the range of an electric vehicle is influenced by several factors such as weather, speed, load, and energy consumption of the accessories. The Amogy's truck performance is not solely based on the energy stored in the ammonia. The range of Amogy's truck may not be directly comparable to the Tesla Semi.

While there may be some limitations to the range and efficiency of the Amogy truck when compared to battery-electric vehicles, one potential advantage of using ammonia as a fuel source is that it may be easier to increase the range of the vehicle by adding additional tanks of ammonia. This could be a less complex and less costly process compared to extending the range of a battery-powered vehicle.

Additionally, designing a new truck specifically for use with ammonia fuel could allow for further optimization of the powertrain and energy storage, potentially increasing the range and efficiency of the vehicle.

It's worth noting that Ammonia as a fuel is still in the early stages of development and further research and development are needed to fully evaluate the potential of ammonia as a fuel source for heavy transport, as well as to identify the best ways to design and retrofit trucks to use ammonia fuel.

There is growing concern that the demand for lithium and other battery-relevant metals will outstrip supply as the EV transition accelerates. It is predicted that the lithium resource squeeze could occur within the next decade, which is why it is important to explore alternative technologies and fuel sources for transportation.

Ammonia fuel has the potential to be a more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries as it can be produced from renewable resources, and it has a higher energy density. However, it's important to note that the development of ammonia fuel is still in its early stages, and more research and development are needed to fully evaluate its potential as a fuel source for heavy transport.

Additionally, the Amogy truck's performance and range are not known yet, as it has not been fully tested. Therefore, it is hard to estimate how it will compare to lithium-ion battery electric vehicles in terms of range and efficiency.

You're correct that ammonia has some potential as an alternative fuel source for transportation, particularly in the freight sector. As a liquid fuel, it has a higher energy density than lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, and it can be produced and used cleanly. It is also well-understood in terms of storage, transport, and handling, and it is already available in bulk quantities.

Amogy is working on developing ammonia-powered vehicles, including a 1-MW-scale ammonia-powered tugboat, which is expected to be demonstrated later this year. The company hopes to scale this up to a powertrain relevant to container ships on trans-oceanic voyages by 2025. Other companies, such as Australian mining company Fortescue, are also working on ammonia-powered shipping projects, but they are expected to use an ammonia combustion powertrain rather than an electric system run through a fuel cell.

It's worth noting that the development of ammonia fuel is still in its early stages, and more research and development are needed to fully evaluate its potential as a fuel source for heavy transport, as well as to identify the best ways to design and retrofit ships to use ammonia fuel.