Delivery giant DHL has revealed a new electric version of a Ford Transit panel van with a combination of battery and fuel-cell powertrains.
Built in collaboration with electric vehicle creators StreetScooter, the ‘H2 Panel Van’ is said to offer a range of up to 300 miles, unprecedented in electric LCVs.
The first 4.25-tonne electric vehicle with both a battery and a fuel cell has been on display at the Green Tech Festival in Berlin.
The van accommodates a 40kWh battery in conjunction with the 26kW fuel cell, which is fed by a 6kg hydrogen fuel tank – the only emission from hydrogen fuel cell propulsion being water.
Despite the extra technology, DHL says that the van still offers a cargo capacity of more than 10 cubic metres – equivalent to around 100 parcels.
According to CEO of DHL Express Germany, Markus Reckling, the H2 Panel Van sees DHL Express become the first express provider to use a larger number of electric vehicles with fuel cells for last-mile logistics.
“This underscores our aspiration to be not only the fastest and most reliable provider on the market, but also the most climate friendly,” he says.
The H2 Panel Van is based on the current StreetScooter Work XL vehicle and the project has received funding from the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI).
