Hyliko, the first hydrogen mobility platform dedicated to truck fleets, has revealed its first 44-tonne hydrogen fuel cell tractor truck and announced plans for a hydrogen mobility center of excellence in the southern suburbs of Paris. The company presented its first range of hydrogen tractors and rigids for road freight transport at the Hyvolution exhibition in Paris.
The range features a 26 to 44-tonne rigid and a 44t tractor powered by a hydrogen powertrain developed in partnership with GreenGT. The vehicles use two fuel cells with a total output of 160kW, a 40kg capacity hydrogen tank from Plastic Omnium, and 60kWh Forsee Power batteries, giving the engine a power output of 350kW and an estimated range of 400km at 350bar or 900km at 700bar.
The 44t tractor was built on a retrofitted Renault Trucks chassis and replaces the diesel drive unit with a hydrogen fuel cell system. The rigid has been designed to be transformed into a van, fridge, flatbed, dump, or crane, making it suitable for energy-intensive uses.
In addition to the hydrogen trucks, Hyliko also announced its plans for a hydrogen heavy mobility center of excellence in Villabé, Essonne. The two-hectare site will include a vehicle exhibition area, a technical training center for partners, and a hydrogen fueling station coupled with a hydrogen production unit. The fueling station will use biomass thermolysis to produce hydrogen for the vehicles and will be accessible to public and private fleet operators.
Hyliko aims to promote the French industry in all stages of vehicle manufacturing and plans to carry out the design and assembly of its vehicles in France, as well as future series development and production from 2024. The company has partnerships with coachbuilders and major industrial groups and hopes to provide carriers and contractors with the tools they need to decarbonise road freight transport.
The Villabé hub is due to launch in mid-2024 and will be a key step in the strategic development of the fueling and maintenance network. Hyliko plans to deploy 6,000 hydrogen trucks and develop 60 hydrogen fueling stations across Europe by 2030.
