Following the collaboration between Toyota Motor Europe and VDL Groep announced last May, the two companies have now launched their first fuel cell concept truck. By integrating Toyota’s fuel cell technology into VDL heavy-duty trucks, Toyota aims to decarbonize its logistics operations in Europe.
This first experimental truck will be used to conduct road tests and evaluate improvements towards the next steps of the project. VDL Groep is preparing four more fuel cell trucks, which will be used by Toyota logistics providers VOS Transport Group, CEVA, Groupe CAT and Yusen. These transport companies will contribute significantly to the project by using hydrogen trucks on their daily logistics routes that pass through Belgium (Antwerp), France (Lille), Germany (Cologne) and the Netherlands (Amsterdam and Rotterdam). All four routes have at least one hydrogen refueling station (HRS), including backup solutions.
The cooperation between all parties is expected to consolidate lessons learned on how to deploy fuel cell trucks on public roads and contribute to the green energy transition in Europe. The 5-year trial is expected to stimulate further development of sustainable hydrogen infrastructure across Europe to meet AFIR requirements and allow the emergence of more carbon-neutral hydrogen mobility solutions.
