Hylane, a German zero-emissions truck rental company primarily known for its hydrogen efforts, is expanding in two ways. The company now also offers battery-electric trucks and has expanded into the Netherlands, where it will benefit from additional subsidies to partly finance its new trucks.
Hylane was founded in 2021 in Cologne, Germany, and, as the name implies, initially focused solely on renting out hydrogen trucks to transport and logistics companies. This would allow them to reduce carbon emissions without incurring significant costs for purchasing these trucks, and without compromising uptime during charging. Hylane was the first to register a hydrogen truck in Germany and currently operates the largest hydrogen truck fleet in Europe, with over 100 vehicles.
Battery-electric trucks alongside hydrogen options
Now, the company is growing in two directions. Recently, Hylane announced a partnership with DHL to operate 30 battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 trucks, thereby moving beyond just offering hydrogen vehicles. Hylane will bill DHL based on the actual kilometers driven through its Transport as a Service model, rather than paying a fixed monthly rate.
Hydrogen is becoming a less popular solution, even in the truck market. Now, battery-electric trucks are achieving a more usable daily range. With the advent of megawatt chargers, which can recharge most trucks during the mandatory rest period, the trend is likely to continue.
“The addition of battery-electric trucks to our fleet is an important milestone in the expansion of Hylane, allowing us to support our customers even more comprehensively in decarbonizing their transport. As a technology-open provider, we consciously focus on battery and hydrogen-powered trucks to offer the best solution depending on the application,” says Sara Schiffer, Managing Director of Hylane.
Expansion into the Netherlands
But that doesn’t mean Hylane is giving up on hydrogen yet. The company is also expanding into the Netherlands, where it has founded a Dutch subsidiary to offer a rental service to local transport companies. Three models are available: the MAN hTGX hydrogen combustion truck, the Hyundai Xcient fuel cell truck, and the Mercedes eActros 600 battery-electric truck.
“By entering the Dutch market, we are transferring our proven rental model for zero-emission trucks to another key logistics market. Many of our customers operate across borders—thus, it is a logical step for us to expand our offerings internationally. In doing so, we can build on our experience in the German market, where we have established ourselves as one of the leading providers,” adds Schiffer.
Hylane will also benefit from the Dutch SWIM (Subsidieregeling Waterstof in Mobiliteit) initiative. This subsidy covers up to 80 percent of the difference between the acquisition costs for diesel and hydrogen-powered vehicles. Hylane says the funding will be used to lower rental rates for customers.
SWIM not only supports the purchase of hydrogen trucks but also the expansion of the hydrogen filling station infrastructure. Hylane is also cooperating with filling station operators TEAL Mobility, Fountain Fuel, and Vissers to offer fuel cards for these hydrogen pumps, making it easier for transporters to refuel with hydrogen.
