In partnership with Toyota Motor Europe (TME), CEVA Logistics will test a heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) truck prototype.
Designed for TME by Dutch manufacturer VDL Groep, the prototype truck will operate under a five-year contract, decarbonizing TME’s supply chain while also providing performance information on the HFC.
CEVA will take possession of and integrate the prototype into its operations in the second half of 2023. The pilot program will enable CEVA to further evaluate the hydrogen fuel cell trucks ahead of the global industrialization of fuel cell technology, which should start toward the end of the decade.
CEVA’s purchase of the prototype will be partially funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport through €384,000 (US$419,000) in the context of the federal ‘Climate-friendly commercial vehicles and infrastructure (KsNI)’ funding program. The program is coordinated by Now, and applications are approved by the Federal Logistics and Mobility Office.
According to the companies, this long-term trial will play an important role in assessing both the benefits of hydrogen for ground transportation and the development of sustainable hydrogen infrastructure in Europe. CEVA will study the performance of the hydrogen fuel cell technology compared to traditional diesel trucks and identify potential use cases. The fuel cell-hydrogen truck will be assigned to a dedicated flow between two TME sites and will be fueled with hydrogen supplied from existing stations available between the sites. With the HFC truck, CEVA expects to reduce its carbon footprint by at least 690 tons of CO2 during the five-year test period.
The HFC test is part of CEVA’s efforts to implement a range of initiatives into its ground operations to reduce emissions by scaling up the use of electric vehicles (EVs), biogas and biofuels; testing hydrogen fuel cell and other low-carbon trucks; and transitioning eligible full-truckload shipments to its rail solutions. In addition to testing HFC trucks, the company plans to grow its fleet of EVs to 1,450 by the end of 2025. CEVA Logistics is part of the CMA CGM Group, which has set a target to reach net zero by 2050.
Luc Nadal, managing director for Europe, CEVA Logistics, said, “We have a long-standing relationship with Toyota Motor Europe, and playing an active role in this decarbonization project with them represents an important moment for us and for our industry. We recently launched the European Clean Transport Network (ECTN) Alliance with Sanef and Engie, and we also announced recently our global commitment to a much larger EV fleet. So, today’s announcement [June 20] 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.”
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