Renault Trucks and the French Post Office (La Poste) will launch an electric truck designed with a hydrogen-powered range extender on an experimental basis in Europe, as part of their commitment to a sustainable development strategy.
The Maxity Electric model is equipped with a hydrogen-powered fuel cell, which has been developed by Symbio FCell.
Expected to last for a year, this test will allow Renault Trucks to look at the feasibility of hydrogen technology under actual driving conditions.
Renault Trucks Energy Efficiency Strategy director Karine Forien said: "This vehicle generates no noise and only releases water vapor; 200 kilometers of autonomy make it the ideal choice for a daily schedule of urban and suburban routes."
La Poste currently owns the largest fleet of electric vehicles in the world and this latest experiment is part of its constant effort to extend its fleet's autonomy.
La Poste mail and package delivery services office technical director Frédéric Delaval noted: "Hydrogen stands out today as an efficient solution for extending the possibilities of the electric vehicle product line and its autonomy. More broadly, the development of a hydrogen-based energy storage system is a linchpin to our energy transition."
The 4.5-ton Maxity Electric vehicle has been designed to house a fuel cell. The development and vehicle integration steps have been carried out in partnership with Symbio FCell.
Following this partnership, Maxity Electric's average autonomy of approximately 100km has increased by another 100km a result of the energy supplied by the fuel cell.
When the vehicle starts operating, the electric motor is fed by two complementary energy sources - the fuel cell first delivers a maximum power of 20kW and, once this threshold has been reached, the batteries then supply the remaining required power.
The project supervisor Christophe Vacquier said that when idle, the fuel cell can recharge the battery as needed.
When the cell releases heat, it can be reused to warm the passenger compartment, which prevents the consumption of any energy stored in the batteries, thereby ensuring longer autonomy.
Maxity Electric, which has been certified and registered by Renault Trucks, will be operated in the city of Dole, which witnesses harsh winter weather conditions.
