Sustainable logistics – Watèa by Michelin sets out to conquer hydrogen mobility
- Watèa by Michelin, a mobility operator specialising in the energy transition of professional fleets, is extending its range of services to include hydrogen vehicles
- The new service will enable Watèa clients to reap the many benefits of hydrogen mobility
- As the figures demonstrate, hydrogen is playing an increasing role in fleet electrification, with a 40% increase in the number of fuel cell vehicles on roads worldwide in 20221
Watèa by Michelin, a mobility operator specialising in the energy transition of professional fleets, is unveiling a brand-new hydrogen service. The new service will enable Watèa clients to reap the many benefits of hydrogen mobility, with hydrogen vehicles offering greater autonomy and considerably quicker charging times than battery electric vehicles. With the new hydrogen service, Watèa clients will gain access to greater operational availability for their fleet, with uses that are very similar to those of combustion-powered vehicles.
In real terms, the offer provides a subscription-based one-stop service that includes hydrogen vehicles, charging solutions, maintenance and 24-hour assistance, as well as a range of digital services. The subscription also provides access to European, national and regional subsidies, including subsidies from the ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency) and France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with Watèa handling all the administrative procedures with the organizations concerned.
In keeping with its decarbonisation mission, Watèa has also chosen to enable its clients to refuel with renewable and low-carbon hydrogen.
“To make strides in decarbonising our commercial vehicle fleets, we must give our clients the very best in electrical technology. This is why, after a lengthy test and development phase, Watèa is poised to offer its hydrogen electric vehicle service, in conjunction with the offer it launched in 2021 for battery electric vehicles, which will continue to exist and to expand. Indeed, hydrogen electric vehicles enable users to bypass some of the constraints associated with battery vehicles – their autonomy is greater, but, more importantly, charging times are drastically reduced. We feel that today, in cities like Paris and Lyon, the hydrogen ecosystem is sufficiently mature, and demand from our clients is sufficiently strong, for this solution to be highly successful.”
The new offer is fully in accordance with the new hydrogen strategy regarding transport decarbonisation that was recently introduced in France. On a national and international level, the figures demonstrate that hydrogen mobility is playing an increasing role in fleet electrification, with a 40% increase in the number of fuel cell vehicles on roads worldwide in 2022.
Since 2021, Watèa has leveraged comprehensive fleet electrification expertise through its subscription-based one-stop service that covers battery electric vehicles, charging solutions, financing and more.
[1] 2023 EV Outlook Global Report från IEA