Toyota Motor Europe and the VDL Group have jointly integrated Toyota's fuel cell technology into heavy trucks. After deploying an initial demonstration vehicle, four more trucks are now operating daily on routes between Diest in Belgium, Lille in France, Cologne and Rotterdam, as well as Weesp in the Netherlands.
The manufacturer is deploying the fuel cell
trucks with its logistics partners Vos Transport Group, Ceva, Groupe Cat, and Yusen as part of its European logistics network – specifically at the Toyota Parts Centre Europe, where more than 500,000 parts and accessories are processed daily.
The trucks are expected to deliver performance comparable to diesel vehicles and cover up to 400 kilometers on
a single tank under real-world conditions. The manufacturer cites more driving comfort due to the vibration-free electric drive, as well as reduced noise pollution, as additional advantages.
"This initiative aligns with Toyota's goal of achieving climate neutrality in logistics by 2040," explains Thiebault Paquet, Vice President R&D, Toyota Motor Europe, and adds, "At the same time,
we want to contribute to the development of the hydrogen economy. Heavy fuel cell trucks can significantly increase the demand for hydrogen – especially in conjunction with the EU Regulation on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure (AFIR)."
The aim is to gather operational experience together with the logistics partners in order to further optimize the vehicles and operational
