Toyota Motor Europe, CaetanoBus and Air Liquide have signed an agreement related to the development of hydrogen-based transport options, as the race to develop low and zero-emission vehicles heats up.
Toyota said on Tuesday the deal would aim for closer cooperation in developing opportunities for hydrogen mobility projects in several European countries.
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 the 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 vehicles 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.
CaetanoBus, part of Toyota Caetano Portugal and Mitsui & Co, is a bus and chassis manufacturer in Portugal. The company has a consolidated offer in vehicles for cities and airports which is a result of its technical capacity in developing unique, customer-oriented mobility solutions. CaetanoBus is also the manufacturer of COBUS, the world’s market leader in airport bus transportation. CaetanoBus has been focusing on electric mobility since 1980.
