The first battery-electric trucks will be available to interested customers this year. For example, companies will soon be able to rent eActros 600 trucks from Daimler Truck. The vehicles will be provided in the same comprehensive rental model as the hylane trucks with fuel cell drive. hylane is working on partnerships with charging park operators in order to provide customers with the best possible support.
hylane Managing Director Dr. Sara Schiffer: “Right from the start, we saw that our customers rely on different technologies to decarbonize their fleets. With a portfolio that is open to all technologies, we can support them holistically and individually in their transformation. That is why we are now expanding our zero-emission truck fleet to include battery-powered electric vehicles.”
Hydrogen and battery
By adding battery-electric trucks to its fleet, hylane is taking the next step towards the decarbonization of road freight transport - the company's overarching goal. For hylane, the addition of another emission-free drive technology is not a move away from hydrogen, but a strategic addition. After all, both technologies are needed to achieve the climate targets for heavy goods transport: Battery and fuel cell electric trucks each have specific strengths in different application scenarios.
This is also reflected in the increasingly diversified range of vehicle manufacturers - and presents fleet operators with new challenges when selecting suitable vehicles. hylane is responding to this development with an open-technology approach: by combining both types of drive, the company offers its customers maximum flexibility while providing comprehensive advice on optimal vehicle use.
hylane Managing Director Bernd Zens: “The decision to expand our activities fits in with the clearly formulated goals of the new German government to decarbonize the transport sector: Special funds for infrastructure, explicit mention of hydrogen as a future technology for the transport sector in the coalition agreement, extension of the toll exemption for zero-emission trucks.”
Vehicle manufacturers' strategy: technology openness as the key to widespread decarbonization
Vehicle manufacturers are also increasingly focusing on a technology-neutral approach to decarbonizing heavy goods transport. The majority are pursuing a dual strategy and investing in battery and fuel cell electric drives in parallel. Others, such as MAN, are expanding this approach to include hydrogen combustion engines. This diversity is necessary in order to meet the different requirements in terms of range, charging times and usage profiles - but above all to be able to supply the more than eight million medium and heavy-duty trucks in Europe with energy in the medium term.
Maximilian Draxler, Head of Finance at hylane: “hylane is currently the only provider to offer both a hydrogen and a battery-electric vehicle fleet and thus specifically supports its customers in finding the optimal match between vehicle technology and individual deployment scenarios - which makes a decisive contribution to increasing efficiency and optimizing overall costs.”
Emission-free with pay-per-use
hylane provides the battery and hydrogen-powered vehicles in a comprehensive, usage-based and low-risk rental model. Renters only pay for the kilometers driven. hylane takes care of vehicle procurement and registration, maintenance and repair, insurance and access to the energy supply. The company also takes care of managing regulatory requirements and issues users with certified proof of CO₂ savings.
Low-risk decarbonization
In the rental model, hylane bears the investment, residual and technology risk of the trucks. This makes the switch to climate-friendly vehicles not only low-risk, efficient and economical, but also easier. The use of zero-emission trucks differs fundamentally from classic diesel operation - among other things due to a greater variety of drive technologies and their configuration. There is much closer interaction with the charging and refueling infrastructure, extensive funding opportunities and growing regulatory complexity.
Comprehensive expertise
The manufacturer-independent hylane fleet now comprises over 100 zero-emission vehicles with hydrogen drive systems: both motor vehicles and tractor units from Hyundai and IVECO, for example. In the coming months, not only will more H2 trucks be introduced, but also the first BEVs - for example 30 eActros 600 from Daimler Truck for the logistics company DHL. Other market-leading companies such as DB Schenker/DSV, Hermes and REWE also rely on hylane vehicles for hire.
