Savage Companies, a logistics and infrastructure provider, and hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer Symbio North America have teamed up in an effort to decarbonize the former's drayage fleet, it was announced last week at the 2025 ACT Expo.
The partnership's goal is to revolutionize drayage with the lightest, most compact and cost-effective hydrogen fuel cell driveline. Symbio has also partnered with Forvia, one of its shareholders whose expertise is in hydrogen storage.
Savage and Symbio have identified four key areas for collaboration, starting with the development of a 4x2 FCEV driveline prototype that'll ride on a Mack Anthem chassis. Advancing the new technology for integration into Savage's existing vehicles, keeping that new tech affordable for the relatively expensive hydrogen market, and operational data sharing are also on the agenda.
“We’re excited about the impact this new technology will have on the industry and are proud to be one of its early adopters," said Tyler Flynn, senior director of projects at Savage. "Partnering with Symbio allows us to continue taking steps to make our fleet more sustainable while ensuring it remains efficient.”
“We are proud to partner with Savage in accelerating the deployment of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles," added Rick Breunesse, business development director at Symbio. "Our collaboration demonstrates a shared commitment to zero-emission transportation and will serve as a model for fleets transitioning to hydrogen with competitive fuel cell solutions."
FCEVs can be ideal for drayage. One example is the Class 8 Nikola Tre, though Nikola's recent bankruptcy calls into question the operational future of those rigs. But Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda continue to invest in FCEV in North America and overseas, so the technology still has a future.
[Related: Hyundai rolls out new Xcient fuel cell tractor]
The problem is that it remains several years behind the battery-electric market, both in terms of overall technological progress and infrastructure.
Symbio says its multi-system fuel cell has a combined output of 300 kilowatts thanks to multiple StackPack 75 kW units to enhance the power-to-weight ratio. Forvia will provide tanks capable of a maximum of 34 kg of hydrogen.
