HYVIA DELIVERS HYDROGEN MASTER PROTOTYPE
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Over the last 20 years we have overcome all the technological difficulties
energy] that price could be €5 or even €3 or €4 per kg. “At the moment, a lot of people at government, infrastructure and production level are engaged in the question of hydrogen strategy. Over the last 20 years we have overcome all the technological difficulties, but three challenges remain – cost, availability of refuelling stations and the large-scale production of green hydrogen. We need to deploy a fuel cell vehicle today with a public funding framework in place at a high level and have an existing refuelling station network. “This is why we are launching in France and Germany because in those markets we have those two things. The funding and a basic infrastructure,” he added. Interest in the Vivaro-e Hydrogen has been strong, according to Thiesen, with fleet customers wanting a zero-emission solution but the flexibility of longer distance driving and the ability to fuel quickly. Its suitability is also helped by it having the exact same load carrying capacity of 5.3m3 or 6.1m3 as medium- or long-wheelbase BEV and ICE vehicles as well as a payload capacity of up to 1,100kg.
rench company Hyvia has taken the wraps off a Master H2-TECH heavy van, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, that should be commercially available next year. Based on the 12m3 Master panel van, the H2TECH is equipped with a 30kW fuel cell with four tanks containing 6kg of hydrogen and a 33kWh battery. The company promises a driving range of up to 310 miles, with fast refuelling times of just five minutes. To meet that need, Hyvia will also offer hydrogen refuelling stations, to purchase, lease or rent. Hydrogen is either generated on site, from water electrolysis, or supplied in bulk using gaseous tube trailers. The station then compresses the hydrogen into a stored format, to be dispensed to vehicles when required.
The company is also working on chassis cab models of Master, with cargo capacities up to 19m3 and a range of around 155 miles. There will also be an urban minibus, called Citybus H2-TECH, that can carry up to 15 passengers with a range of 186 miles. Hyvia is a joint venture between Renault Group and Plug Power, a leader in turnkey hydrogen solutions. Plug Power has already deployed more than 50,000 fuel cells and designed and built 110 refuelling stations that currently dispense more than 40 tonnes of hydrogen daily. The Hyvia vans will be built at Renault’s Batilly plant, with electric and hydrogen installation carried out by PVI, a Renault Group subsidiary.
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A driving range of up to 310 miles, with fast refuelling times of just five minutes
NOVEMBER 2021 • VANUSER 31
