The Lauterach-based company has summarised one year of running its very-first hydrogen truck, used for daily short-distance transportation in Switzerland.

The 36-tonne-truck, the Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell model, made 70,000 km, saving some 80t of CO2 emissions.

With 7.5 kg/100 km, hydrogen consumption was lower than that specified by the truck maker.

The average daily range was 430 km, allowing the 350 kW electric motor truck to operate day-round on a single fuelling (32 kg of tank capacity, refilled in about 12 minutes).

Gebrüder Weiss' hydrogen truck had to pay only one workshop visit for a technical inspection.

The company plans to deploy other hydrogen trucks in Austria and southern Germany.

"The purchase was a worthwhile investment in resource-saving road freight transport. The truck is well received by the drivers and, above all, by the customers," Peter Waldenberger, Head of Quality and Environmental Management, Gebrüder Weiss.

Photo: Gebrüder Weiss/Sams