Pepper Motion, the German electric converter, has inked a supplier agreement with Toyota Tsusho Nexty Electronics Europe to incorporate Toyota’s fuel cells into its hydrogen-driven conversion kit. This partnership aims to bring state-of-the-art hydrogen technology to the forefront of commercial transportation.
The foundation of Pepper Motion’s hydrogen version of their conversion kit will be Toyota’s renowned fuel cells. These fuel cells will debut in a fleet of 25 hydrogen-powered trucks based on the Mercedes Benz Atego platform. The trucks are currently being deployed by Paul Nutzfahrzeuge, marking a pivotal moment in the journey towards zero emissions and carbon neutrality in transport.
Andreas Hager, the Managing Director of Pepper Motion, emphasized the significance of this collaboration, stating, “With our products and developments, we are making an active contribution to reducing emissions in transport towards the major goal of zero emissions and CO2 neutrality – open to technology and geared to the specific requirements of the commercial vehicle sector. The contract with Toyota is another milestone on the way there, and we are very happy to have Toyota, the market leader in the field of fuel cells, on board as a reliable supplier of cutting-edge technology in the commercial vehicle segment.”
Pepper Motion’s recent shift in sales strategy, which emphasizes closer collaboration with customers for individual requirement analysis, is likely a key driver behind this partnership. Previously, the company predominantly focused on electric trucks and buses, even experimenting with a solar bus kit in Germany the previous year. Just a month later, Pepper Motion entered into a battery system supply agreement with Impact Clean Power Technology from Poland.
On the other side of this collaboration, Toyota brings its extensive experience with hydrogen systems to the table. This experience ranges from marine applications, as reported in July, to personal cars, where the Japanese manufacturer has a global strategy. However, Toyota’s hydrogen strategy has faced growing criticism, primarily concerning the operational costs of fuel cell vehicles and its broader battery electric vehicle (BEV) strategy. Toyota also supplies fuel cell drives for the Mercedes eCitaro hydrogen, further cementing its position as a key player in the hydrogen-powered vehicle industry.
