Plug Power, StreetScooter at Full Speed – Here’s a Recap In Case You Missed It!

June 4, 2019

At the close of May, Plug Power (world’s leading fuel cell manufacturer), StreetScooter (European electric vehicle manufacturer) and DHL (the world’s largest logistics company) disclosed details for the first commercial scale deployment of fuel cells for on-road logistics. With this partnership, StreetScooter will initially deliver 100 hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks for on-road use in series production to Deutsche Post DHL, starting in 2020.

Coverage of this news was widespread around the world. We don’t want you to miss a thing – so here’s a recap of some of our favorite articles.

The Aachen-based electric transporter manufacturer StreetScooter does not stay long with the success of its battery-electric “Works” and has additionally equipped the electric transporter with a fuel cell and a hydrogen tank. This should give the new “H2 Panel Van” a range of up to 500 kilometres. There is no comparable production vehicle on the market worldwide.”

 

Last week, at the Green Tech Festival in Berlin, Streetscooter showed the new panel van for the first time. Like its big brother “Works XL”, it is built in cooperation with Ford and is based on Transit. It has a payload of up to 800 kilograms.”

 

Markus Reckling, head of DHL Germany, commented on the new development: “With the H2 Panel Van, DHL Express will be the first express service provider to use electric transporters with fuel cells on a large scale for its last mile logistics“.

 

“We are convinced that the fuel cell will become an increasingly important component in the marketplace. electric mobility, as it enables vehicles with a longer range, which is essential for many customers are essential. With the panel Van StreetScooter opens another chapter in its innovation history and enters a new growth phase,” explained Fabian Schmitt, Chief Technical Officer of StreetScooter GmbH.

 

The maximum speed is 120 km/h, which is why the hydrogen street scooter can also drive on the motorway. The battery version can only drive up to 95 km/h. The van could therefore also replace truck journeys for the express sector, explains DHL Germany boss Markus Reckling. This is faster and emission-free.

 

The purchase price may be higher than that of a comparable diesel vehicle, according to Reckling, but what interests him in the end is the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Since the operation of the H2 street scooter is cheaper, the maintenance effort is lower and the service life of around 20,000 operating hours is longer than with a diesel, the costs of the two delivery van variants are comparable on balance.

 

DHL Express initially ordered 100 of the vehicles. But Reckling can imagine using more of them in the future. “If everything works as we imagine it would, there could soon be 500 vehicles worldwide,” says Reckling. In concrete terms, however, he will only be able to nail himself to it once the practical test has been successfully completed.

 

For inner-city deliveries, DHL will also use BEV street scooters (with a larger battery for greater range). But according to Reckling, 80 to 90 percent of the express fleet can ultimately only be covered by vehicles with a box body and hydrogen.

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