Pepper Motion continues to build its carbon zero vehicle portfolio with the announcement it is teaming with Toyota for the develpoment of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle development.
Pepper Motion, the German electric vehicle converter, has announced a strategic collaboration with Toyota to incorporate Toyota’s fuel cells into its hydrogen-based propulsion systems for commercial vehicles. This partnership is solidified through a supplier agreement with Toyota Tsusho Nexty Electronics Europe.
At the heart of this collaboration lies the utilisation of Toyota’s advanced fuel cell technology as the foundation for Pepper’s hydrogen-driven conversion kit. These fuel cells will make their debut in a fleet of 25 H2 trucks, based on the Mercedes Atego, currently being deployed by Paul Nutzfahrzeuge.
Pepper Motion, which recently announced a tie-up with BPW which saw it take over the production of the BAX battery electric vehicle, has shifted its focus to working directly with inidividual companies to offer tailored solutions. Pepper Motion had previously concentrated on electric trucks and buses, including the testing of a solar bus kit in Germany last year. It has also signed a battery system supply contract with Impact Clean Power Technology from Poland.
Toyota brings extensive expertise in Hydrogen systems, spanning various applications, from marine to personal vehicles. However, its hydrogen strategy has faced growing scrutiny, with concerns about the operational costs of fuel cell cars and the company’s electric vehicle (BEV) strategy. Notably, Toyota also supplies fuel cell drives for the Mercedes eCitaro hydrogen bus and has recently announced an agreement with Paccar in North America for fuel cell deployment there.
