The California Energy Commission (CEC), which is leading the state’s efforts toward a 100% clean and affordable energy future, has awarded Symbio North America a $9 million grant to support the establishment of a manufacturing facility in Temecula to produce hydrogen fuel cell systems and assemble vehicles. Symbio is a joint venture between Faurecia and Michelin. Its fuel cells dramatically reduce refueling times to 3–5 minutes and improve range without compromising vehicle performance, payload and capability. The 32,000-square-foot Temecula facility will assemble fuel cell vehicles, such as heavy-duty trucks and commercial vehicles, as well as complete fuel cell systems. The facility will employ 63 skilled permanent employees over the next three years and is expected to be operational by the end of the year. It will eventually reach a combined maximum production capacity of 250 trucks and 2,000 systems per year, which will accelerate the deployment of zero-emission heavy-duty mobility in California using hydrogen.
The CEC grant will support the development of Symbio’s industrial footprint in the United States and help meet growing OEM demand. In addition, this grant will support the establishment of the Symbio Hydrogen Academy, which will focus on workforce training in the United States. (Symbio North America is partnering with UC Riverside, California State LA University, Cerritos College to develop academic programs, building on the experience of the Symbio Hydrogen Academy in Europe and the content already developed. The resulting programs will be offered to MCSN technicians. The goal is to train at least 185 professionals, students, technicians and fleet managers by 2025.)
