CEVA trial aims “to find better ways to transport ground freight”

 CEVA Logistics has announced that it will test one of the first heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) trucks on the market in partnership with Toyota Motor Europe (TME). 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 valuable 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 allow 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.

Partial Funding by German Transport Ministry

CEVA’s purchase of the prototype will be partially funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport through 383.923,20 euros in the context of the federal funding program “Climate-friendly commercial vehicles and infrastructure (KsNI).” The funding program is coordinated by NOW GmbH, applications are approved by the Federal Logistics and Mobility Office.

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. Thanks to the HFC truck, CEVA expects to reduce its carbon footprint by at least 690 tons of CO2 during the five-year test period.

Part of Broader Pursuit of “Better Ways”

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 electric vehicles (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. The Group is firmly committed to the energy transition in shipping and is a pioneer in its use of alternative fuels.

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 ECTN (European Clean Transport Network) Alliance with Sanef and Engie, and we also announced recently our global commitment to a much larger EV fleet. So, today’s announcement 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.”