CEVA Logistics and Toyota Motor Europe (TME) have joined forces to conduct a trial of a heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) truck
Developed by Dutch manufacturer VDL Groep and operating under a five-year contract, the prototype truck will provide performance data on FCEV technology while reducing carbon emissions.
In the second half of 2023, CEVA will integrate the prototype truck into its operations, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation before the anticipated global industrialisation of fuel cell technology in the coming years.
To support this initiative, the German Transport Ministry will partially fund CEVA’s acquisition of the prototype truck through the “Climate-friendly commercial vehicles and infrastructure (KsNI)” federal funding programme. Coordinated by NOW GmbH and approved by the Federal Logistics and Mobility Office, the programme will provide partial funding of €383,923.20 to support the project.
The long-term trial will play a vital role in assessing the benefits of hydrogen for ground transportation and advancing the development of sustainable hydrogen infrastructure in Europe. CEVA will compare the performance of the hydrogen fuel cell technology to traditional diesel trucks, identify potential use cases, and reduce its carbon footprint by approximately 690 tonnes of CO2 during the five-year testing period. The truck will be dedicated to a specific flow between two Toyota sites, utilising existing hydrogen stations for refueling.
This FCEV test program is part of CEVA’s broader commitment to implementing various initiatives aimed at reducing emissions in its ground operations. These initiatives include scaling up the use of electric vehicles (EVs), biogas, and biofuels, exploring hydrogen fuel cell and other low-carbon truck technologies, and transitioning eligible full-truckload shipments to rail solutions. CEVA Logistics, a subsidiary of the CMA CGM Group, which has set a target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, plans to expand its EV fleet to 1,450 vehicles by the end of 2025.
“We have a long-standing relationship with Toyota Motor Europe, and playing an active role in this decarbonisation project with them represents an important moment for us and for our industry. We recently launched the ECTN (European Clean Transport Network) Alliance with Sanef and Engie, and we also announced recently our global commitment to a much larger EV fleet. So, today’s announcement is just one more example of CEVA’s commitment to working hand-in-hand with major brands to find better ways to transport ground freight. We all want to take advantage of every opportunity possible to decarbonize ground transport in Europe and around the world,” said Luc Nadal, Managing Director for Europe, CEVA Logistics.
