Feedback from France’s first hydrogen trucks in service – Over 60,000 km driven – more than a Round-the-World journey by transporters and shippers convinced by Hyliko’s solution

Hyliko, a leader in the decarbonization of heavy-duty vehicles through green hydrogen and its innovative “Hydrogen & Trucks as a Service” offer, is proud to announce that its first hydrogen trucks, operational since the summer, have already covered over 60,000 kilometers in just four months — surpassing the distance of a full round-the-world trip. This milestone highlights the reliability and performance of these zero-emission vehicles, as well as their significant contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions in the heavy transport sector.

With five hydrogen trucks in operation, Hyliko’s customers have avoided emitting 52.5 tons of CO₂ over the course of these 60,000 kilometers. Powered by green hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources, these trucks not only reduce their carbon footprint but also emit zero local pollutants, releasing only water as a byproduct. This sustainable energy alternative to fossil diesel is a concrete step forward in preserving air quality.

A key enabler of this achievement is the establishment of France’s first hydrogen hub dedicated to heavy-duty vehicles in Villabé, 30 km south of Paris. The hub includes a high-capacity green hydrogen refueling station and a maintenance center specifically designed for heavy-duty vehicles. Developed in collaboration with Lhyfe, the station ensures uninterrupted refueling for Hyliko’s fleet.

The Villabé station has been running continuously since the trucks were launched this summer. The vehicles are refueled daily without any interruptions, ensuring seamless operations for our transport customers and their clients.

“Today, hydrogen trucks are fully integrated into diesel truck fleets without any operational differences. For fleet managers, the comfort and productivity are at least on par — if not superior — to conventional internal combustion vehicles, with the added benefit of zero-emission decarbonization.”

The first feedback from transporters using hydrogen trucks has been overwhelmingly positive. As pioneers in the energy transition for transport in France, Hyliko and its customers have successfully integrated these vehicles into daily operations, serving clients in the Paris region — an area subject to stringent environmental regulations and the Crit’Air system. This initiative gradually restricts the circulation of polluting heavy-duty vehicles, leaving room only for zero-emission alternatives.

As a leader in building material distribution, we are committed to reducing our CO₂ emissions by 50% by 2026.

“With a diversified energy mix already underway, we’ve been pioneers in retrofitting, deploying the first hydrogen-retrofitted trucks. One of our drivers operates the H2 crane truck and wouldn’t trade it for anything else because it works so flawlessly. Following the observation period, our ambition is to replicate this success across our sites, with nearly 100 H2 trucks deployed in partnership with Hyliko.”

Yann Colin, Green Mobility Director at Bert&You and President of the Retrofit H2 Coalition, adds:

We are the first carriers to use hydrogen trucks for food distribution with industry leaders. This innovation strengthens our decarbonization offer to shippers.

“We also deployed a hydrogen tractor at the biggest sporting event of the year in Paris. As President of the H2 Retrofit Coalition, I believe it’s essential to promote this new energy and inspire shippers to adopt it. Today, they can rely on proven use cases in France to integrate hydrogen into their decarbonization strategies, particularly for Scope 3 emissions.”

On the strength of this first successful experience, Hyliko plans to expand its fleet of hydrogen trucks to the area of its Grand-ParHY and Grand-LHYon hydrogen ecosystems, bringing together infrastructure and uses.

The results we are seeing with these 1st hydrogen trucks are not just promising: we are witnessing a paradigm shift in heavy transport, where hydrogen decarbonization is becoming a reality in France.

“At Hyliko, we strive to offer zero-emission solutions tailored to the needs of our customers, combining performance, innovation and respect for the environment. »