Toyota Motor Europe, Air Liquide and CaetanoBus have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the aim of developing integrated hydrogen solutions. This will include infrastructure development and vehicle fleets to accelerate the expansion of hydrogen mobility for both light and heavy-duty vehicles. The partnership reflects the shared ambition of the three partners to contribute to decarbonising transport and accelerate the development of local hydrogen ecosystems for multiple mobility applications.
The three companies will use their complementary expertise to address the entire value chain of hydrogen mobility, ranging from renewable or low-carbon hydrogen production, distribution and refuelling infrastructure to deployment in different vehicle segments. Initially, the focus will be on buses, light commercial vehicles and cars, with a further aim to accelerate the heavy-duty truck segment.
By exploring joint opportunities, the three major players of hydrogen mobility will contribute to the emergence of new hydrogen ecosystems across Europe, a key step to stimulate demand and facilitate hydrogen access for other mobility applications. This includes the infrastructure and refuelling stations, as well as integrated vehicle offers (leasing and service) to customers such as taxi companies, fleet operators, local authorities, and others. The integration of different applications and projects within a hydrogen ecosystem, where supply and demand meet, is intended to create a virtuous circle enabling the overall hydrogen infrastructure to further mature. This initiative represents another step along the path of decarbonization, which is consistent with the stronger focus from European governments and the readiness of hydrogen technologies.
“We are excited by the opportunity to combine our strengths to expand the development of hydrogen clusters. Toyota’s role is to bring the hydrogen applications into the ecosystem, and by working together with our partners, we want to accelerate and intensify the use of hydrogen as a carbon-neutral solution for mobility. This will gradually reduce the costs of hydrogen and its infrastructure while improving the business case for many future applications, including mobility,” Matt Harrison, President & CEO of Toyota Motor Europe.
Source: Toyota
