By 2026, 250 trucks will have received their kits from the Vendée start-up e-Neo, which is creating hydrogen retrofits for diesel trucks on behalf of DB Schenker.
Retrofitting may provide access to hydrogen-powered trucks. This is one of the lessons that the refit specialist e-Neo delivered at a conference at Hyvolution when it unveiled a hydrogen-powered Renault Trucks vehicle that will be added to the DB Schenker fleet.
If the e-Neo company wants to gain traction and reach its goal of retrofitting 250 heavy vehicles annually by 2026, which is a requirement to significantly supply the market, it must rely on reliable partners. A 19 t carrier introduced in 2022 and a 44 t tractor unveiled at the exhibition are the two modified trucks that this Vendée SME is presently working to have approved. Both trucks are based on the Renault Trucks D430 and have diesel engines.
The latter has a 100 kWh battery that powers the electric motor and may be relayed by the hydrogen portion using three Forvia-supplied 17.7 kg at 700 bar tanks and an American Plug Power fuel cell. The range is 500–600 km, as stated.
