Toyota Goes Green with Its Hydrogen Trucks

Toyota Motor Europe begins the integration of hydrogen fuel cell trucks into its logistics flows.

Toyota Motor Europe has put several fuel cell trucks into service as part of its logistics operations. These 40-ton vehicles, built by the Dutch manufacturer VDL Groep and equipped with Toyota fuel cell modules, now provide connections between the Diest parts center (Belgium) and several sites in France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

This initiative marks a new step in the development of low-emission logistics solutions. After an initial testing phase with a demonstration vehicle, four additional trucks are deployed on the Diest-Lille, Diest-Cologne, Diest-Rotterdam, and Diest-Weesp routes.

Toyota is collaborating with several logistics providers — Vos Transport Group, CEVA Logistics, Groupe CAT, and Yusen Logistics — to integrate these vehicles into their daily routes. The goal is to assess the performance of hydrogen trucks under real conditions, particularly in the operation of the Diest distribution center, which ships over 500,000 parts and accessories daily.

The fuel cell trucks use electric motors powered by the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with no emissions at the exhaust. Their range under typical usage conditions is estimated to be around 400 kilometers per full tank. The level of performance is comparable to that of conventional diesel trucks. Furthermore, the absence of vibrations and mechanical noise helps to limit sound disturbances.

This deployment is part of Toyota’s strategy to experiment with different transportation technologies to reduce the carbon footprint of its supply chain while testing the application of hydrogen in heavy transport.

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