Toyota joins Coca-Cola and Air Liquide for heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell truck test programme

• Toyota is working with Coca-Cola and Air Liquide on a pilot programme for new hydrogen-fuelled long-haul truck with zero tailpipe emissions
• A proof-of-concept vehicle is being deployed to demonstrate fuel cell technology’s efficiency and viability for heavy-duty transport
• Heavy-duty trucks equipped with hydrogen fuel cell technology have the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of long-haul logistics operations and stimulate the development of a sustainable hydrogen refuelling infrastructure

Toyota has started testing a new hydrogen-fuelled truck with Coca-Cola as part of the drinks company’s supply operations.

The truck’s fuel cell system uses modules which combine hydrogen and oxygen molecules to produce water, simultaneously generating electricity. As a result, water is the only tailpipe emission. The system offers the further benefit of fast refuelling.

Air Liquide, a leader in clean energy, is supplying the project with hydrogen sourced from renewables. The collaboration highlights the significance of the concurrent development of both vehicles and infrastructure to help foster a more sustainable society.

Toyota aims to support the decarbonisation of heavy-duty road transport with its hydrogen truck projects. Heavy-duty haulage accounts for a quarter of Europe’s freight transport, based on tonnes-per-kilometre carried.  Commercial trucks’ usage patterns and their demand for large volumes of hydrogen make them key contributors to the development of sustainable hydrogen infrastructures.

This latest collaboration is another illustration of Toyota’s objective of supporting and contributing as much as possible to the establishment of carbon neutral societies in Europe and beyond.

Eric Desbonnets, Vice President Paris 2024 Operations, Coca-Cola, said: “We are pleased to partner with Toyota and Air Liquide to test hydrogen solutions for our long-distance logistics operations. We want to learn from this experience as we continue to work towards reducing our carbon footprint.”

Erwin Penfornis, Vice President Hydrogen energy World Business Line, Air Liquide: said: “Air Liquide shares the same ambition as Coca-Cola and Toyota: implementing concrete solutions to meet the challenge of energy transition. This collaborative project is part of such an approach and will demonstrate the relevance of hydrogen for heavy-duty mobility. With a growing call for products with a low carbon transportation footprint, hydrogen is particularly well-suited to long-distance transportation, providing flexibility and productivity.”

Thiebault Pacquet, Vice President R&D, Toyota Motor Europe, commented: “To help speed up the expansion of hydrogen technology implementation in our society, we are expanding the use of our Toyota Fuel Cell Module beyond passenger cars and into trucks, buses, coaches, trains, boats, near-shore and short-sea vessels, stationary generators and so on. It is a great pleasure to collaborate with like-minded partners and demonstrate our shared vision of sustainable mobility. The insights gained from these proofs-of-concept will serve as crucial milestones on our path towards achieving zero tailpipe carbon emissions in our logistics operations by 2040.”

ENDS