Forget Electric Trucks, General Motors Is Looking to Develop Electric Trains
General Motors (NYSE: GM) has been winning plaudits of late thanks to its aggressive push into electric vehicles. Now, it's hoping to extend the reach of its tech to eco-friendly railroad locomotives as well.
GM is partnering with Wabtec (NYSE: WAB) to use the automaker's battery and fuel cell technologies on a new generation of freight locomotives. Right now the typical locomotive burns about 300,000 gallons of diesel per year, according to Wabtec, but the two companies hope over time to eliminate the need for fossil fuels completely.
"The rail industry is on the cusp of a sustainable transformation with the introduction of batteries and hydrogen to power locomotive fleets," Wabtec CEO Rafael Santana said in a statement. "By working with GM on Ultium battery and Hydrotec hydrogen fuel cell technologies, we can accelerate the rail industry's path to decarbonization and pathway to zero-emission locomotives by leveraging these two important propulsion technologies."
Source Fool.com
