Global automaker Toyota has launched a pilot program for new hydrogen-fueled long haul trucks that produce zero tailpipe emissions in partnership with Coca-Cola and Air Liquide. The trucks’ fuel cell system combines hydrogen and oxygen molecules to produce water, generating electricity to power the vehicle and resulting in water being the only tailpipe emission. This initiative is aimed at supporting the decarbonization of heavy-duty road transport.
The pilot project will provide Coca-Cola’s drink supply operations with a proof-of-concept vehicle to demonstrate the efficiency and viability of fuel cell technology for heavy-duty transport ahead of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. Air Liquide will be supplying green hydrogen for fueling the vehicles in an effort to highlight the importance of developing both vehicles and infrastructure to foster a more sustainable society. Heavy-duty trucks equipped with hydrogen fuel cell technology have the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of long haul logistics operations.
Thiebault Pacquet, Vice President of research and development at Toyota Motor Europe, expressed the automaker’s commitment to supporting the establishment of carbon neutral societies in Europe and beyond. Toyota aims to expand the use of its Toyota Fuel Cell Module beyond passenger cars to include trucks, buses, coaches, trains, boats, stationary generators, and more to achieve zero tailpipe carbon emissions in logistics operations by 2040. Air Liquide and Coca-Cola also share a similar ambition to implement concrete solutions to meet the challenge of energy transition.
Erwin Penfornis, Vice President of Air Liquide’s hydrogen energy World Business Line unit, highlighted the relevance of hydrogen for heavy-duty mobility and its suitability for long-distance transportation due to its low carbon footprint. The collaborative project with Toyota and Coca-Cola aims to demonstrate the benefits of hydrogen in reducing carbon emissions and increasing flexibility and productivity in transportation. Eric Desbonnets, Vice President of Paris 2024 Operations at Coca-Cola, stated that the company is pleased to partner with Toyota and Air Liquide to test hydrogen solutions for long-distance logistics operations as part of their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
Toyota and Coca-Cola are global partners for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, while Air Liquide is an official supporter. The collaboration between these companies in the pilot program for hydrogen-fueled long haul trucks demonstrates a shared vision of sustainable mobility and the importance of implementing innovative solutions to address the challenges of energy transition. The insights gained from this project will serve as crucial milestones on the path towards achieving zero tailpipe carbon emissions in logistics operations by 2040, contributing to the development of a more sustainable society.
