Toyota has partnered with VDL Groep in Europe to adapt Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell vehicle technology to heavy commercial vehicles.
Toyota continues to expand the use of hydrogen technology, which is seen as the ultimate solution for mobility, by integrating it into different areas. Following the first demonstration vehicle, Toyota has added four more fuel cell vehicles to its logistics routes in Belgium (Diest), France (Lille), Germany (Cologne) and the Netherlands (Rotterdam and Weesp).
Toyota has also joined forces with logistics providers Vos Transport Group, CEVA Logistics, Groupe CAT and Yusen Logistics to introduce zero-emission heavy-duty trucks into its logistics operations. Together with these logistics providers, Toyota supplies the Toyota European Parts Center, where more than 500 parts and accessories are processed every day. This will enable the performance of fuel cell heavy-duty vehicles to be continuously evaluated in daily operations.
The 40-ton fuel cell truck offers similar performance to a diesel truck, while its engine runs on electricity generated from hydrogen combined with oxygen, resulting in zero exhaust emissions on similar routes. The vehicle offers a range of up to 400 kilometers under real-world driving conditions with a single refueling. In addition, thanks to its vibration-free electric motor, the inconvenience caused to the public in the areas where the vehicle passes is reduced, while driving comfort is significantly increased.
This initiative comes as part of Toyota’s goal to become carbon neutral in its logistics operations by 2040. It also aims to contribute to the growth of the hydrogen economy.
