Toyota has launched hydrogen trucks to deliver parts in Europe
Toyota has started using hydrogen fuel cell trucks to transport auto parts along logistics routes in Europe. The vehicles emit nothing but water vapour into the atmosphere.
Here's What We Know
The 40-tonne trucks were developed by Dutch company VDL Groep, and under the cab they have Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell system. After successful testing of the first prototype in Belgium, Toyota has put four more vehicles into service. They now run regularly between the Belgian parts centre in Diest and France (Lille), Germany (Cologne) and the Netherlands (Rotterdam and Veesp).
Toyota's logistics partners Vos Transport Group, CEVA Logistics, Groupe CAT and Yusen Logistics are also participating in the project. Together with them, the company will monitor how the hydrogen tractors cope with their daily work. And the volumes are not insignificant: Toyota's logistics centre in Belgium handles more than 500,000 parts and accessories per day.
Toyota says that hydrogen trucks are as good as their diesel counterparts in terms of performance: the same traction, range of up to 400 km on a single charge. But at the same time - no noise and vibrations, which makes travelling more comfortable.
Source: Toyota
