Through its green subsidiary e-Line, German tuner Abt is starting to develop and produce a fuel cell driveline for vans. With daily ranges of 800 kilometers in express logistics not uncommon, it believes hydrogen is the preferred solution to battery-electric.

“We see a sensible area of applications for the hydrogen fuel cell in long-distance logistics,” says CEO of Abt e-Line Eric Plekkepoel. Looking at the data, the company says a battery of 300 kWh would be required to meet the transportation needs of that sector, which would, apart from cost, also impact charging times – though not downtime since 300 kWh suffices to cover that range.

Volkswagen e-Transporter

The 700-bar hydrogen tank system (from two up to seven) from Abt e-Line can be filled “in minutes”, according to the company, which already demonstrated its conversion technology at the IAA Transportation in Hannover last September in the guise of two Volkswagen e-Transporter models.

Now Abt claims that there’s even a significant advantage over diesel vans, with the hydrogen alternative reaching several hundred kilometers more, extending the need to pull over at the forecourt of a fueling station.

Those who partner with Abt can not only count on the installation and validation of the driveline, but the conversion specialist also takes care of the safety concept of the entire vehicle. The names of the partners remain undisclosed so far.

Abt adds that it sees considerable demand for the technology. Most likely, these customers operate primarily in Germany, where 95 hydrogens stations are available. However, the infrastructure is still lagging in other major European markets, like France (5) and the UK (7).

For long-distance only

As with most hydrogen-powered drivelines, the solution of Abt relies on a hybrid technology with a battery pack, unmentioned in size, assisting the fuel cell. The principle is that the battery side can perform last-mile deliveries while long distances can be covered by the fuel cell.

Abt, which also makes battery-powered vans, doesn’t regard the hydrogen driveline as a substitute but deems it the best solution for the specific application of zero-carbon long-distance delivery.

This shows from the size: the hydrogen technology is reserved for larger vans. Other brands targeting hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel for commercial vehicles are Renault Hyvia and Stellantis.