Toyota joins with Coca-Cola and Air Liquide for heavy duty hydrogen fuel cell truck test programme
- In collaboration with Coca-Cola and Air Liquide, Toyota is undertaking a pilot programme for a new hydrogen fuel cell, zero tailpipe emission long-haul truck.
- Toyota has provided a proof-of-concept hydrogen truck to demonstrate fuel cell technology’s efficiency and viability for heavy duty transportation
- Heavy duty trucks equipped with hydrogen fuel cell technology have the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of long-haul logistics operations and stimulate the development of a sustainable hydrogen refuelling infrastructure
Brussels, 24 July 2024 - Toyota has started testing a new hydrogen-powered truck together with Coca-Cola as part of the beverage company’s supply operations.
The hydrogen-powered truck utilises Toyota fuel cell modules which combine hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂) molecules into water while simultaneously generating electricity. As a result, the only tailpipe emission is water. Moreover, fast refuelling ensures high utilisation rates.
Air Liquide, a leader in the production and distribution of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen, supplies hydrogen from renewable origin for this project. This collaboration highlights the significance of concurrent development of both vehicles and infrastructure to foster a more sustainable society.
Through these hydrogen truck projects, Toyota intends to support the decarbonisation of heavy duty road transport, which accounts for a quarter of European freight transport based on tonne-kilometres performed. Commercial trucks’ usage patterns and their demand for large volumes of hydrogen position them as key contributors in developing sustainable hydrogen infrastructures.
This latest collaboration again illustrates Toyota’s objective of supporting and contributing to the establishment of Carbon Neutral societies as much as possible in Europe and beyond.
We are pleased to partner with Toyota and Air Liquide to test hydrogen solutions for our long-distance logistics operations. We want to learn from this experience as we continue to work towards reducing our carbon footprint.
Air Liquide shares the same ambition as Coca-Cola and Toyota: implementing concrete solutions to meet the challenge of climate change. This project is part of such approach and will demonstrate the relevance of hydrogen for heavy-duty mobility. With a growing call for products with low-carbon transportation footprint, hydrogen is particularly well-suited to long-distance transportation, providing flexibility and productivity.
To help speed up the expansion of hydrogen technology implementation in our society, we are expanding the use of our Toyota Fuel Cell Module beyond passenger cars into trucks, buses, coaches, trains, boats, near-shore and short-sea vessels, stationary generators, and so on. It is a great pleasure to collaborate with like-minded partners and demonstrate our shared vision of sustainable mobility. The insights gained from these proof of concepts will serve as crucial milestones on our path toward achieving zero tailpipe carbon emissions in our logistics operations by 2040.
Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA (TME) oversees the wholesale sales and marketing of Toyota, GR (Gazoo Racing) and Lexus vehicles and parts and accessories, as well as Toyota’s European manufacturing and engineering operations. Toyota directly employs over 27,000 people and has invested over EUR 10 billion in Europe since 1990. Its eight European manufacturing plants are located in Portugal, the UK, France, Poland, Czech Republic and Turkey. Today, there are approximately 14.7 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles on European roads, whose drivers are supported by a network of 28 National Marketing and Sales Companies and around 2,800 retail sales outlets in 53 countries (EU, UK, EFTA countries + Russia, Israel, Turkey and other Eastern European countries). In 2023, TME sold 1,173,419 vehicles in Europe for a 6.7% market share. For more information, visit www.toyota-europe.com.
Toyota believes that when people are free to move, anything is possible. In the pursuit of "Mobility for All", Toyota aims to create safer, more connected, inclusive and sustainable mobility to achieve its mission of producing “Happiness for All”. In Europe, TME launched the KINTO mobility brand which offers a range of mobility services in 20 countries and is growing its business-to-business sales of zero-emission fuel cell products and engineering support. Contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Toyota is working to achieve carbon neutrality in its entire business across Europe. A historic leader in CO2 reduction in Europe, TME aims to achieve 100% CO2 reduction in all new vehicles in Western Europe by 2035 and will continue to offer a full range of electrified powertrains to customers across the region with its hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery and fuel cell electric vehicles.