Metallica goes green with fuel cell tour trucks

Metallica's upcoming European tour will be a mix of heavy metal and hydrogen fuel cells.

The band is partnering with an Italian heavy truck maker, Iveco Group, to reduce its emissions as it travels to nine cities across Europe from April through July. Iveco will supply custom trucks powered by fuel cells and natural gas to transport the band's gear and low-carbon minibuses to shuttle the crew.

"We are very happy to go 'down the highway' with this amazing band and crew onboard our alternative propulsion vehicles, driven by our shared vocation for supporting sustainable communities and pushing the boundaries for a better world," Luca Sra, president of Iveco's truck business unit, said in a statement.

Iveco's S-Way trucks have a 311-mile range with fuel cells and a 994-mile range on liquefied natural gas.

Fuel cells use a different sort of heavy metal, such as platinum, to create electricity from hydrogen and oxygen.

"We immediately knew that Metallica's goals aligned with Iveco's and realized the huge potential of driving the reduction of CO2 emissions in heavy duty transport vehicles," Metallica Drummer Lars Ulrich told Metal Tech News.

Metallica, whose songs include "It's Electric" and "Ride the Lightning," kicks off the European leg of its M72 tour in the Netherlands before visiting Germany, France, Poland, Spain and Scandinavia. It has concerts scheduled across North America from August through November.