Hydrogen truck specialist HVS agrees strategic partnership with McCulla Transport (Ireland)

Hydrogen truck manufacturer Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS), has agreed a strategic collaboration with McCulla Transport (Ireland) Ltd to explore the integration of Hydrogen Fuel Cell HGVs into the McCulla fleet.

With a fleet of more than 200 heavy commercial vehicles, McCulla is a leading provider of ambient, chilled and frozen logistics and storage solutions from three facilities in Lisburn, Dublin and Mallusk. They provide a fully integrated cold supply chain including cold storage and bespoke logistics solutions to anywhere in the UK, Ireland and the rest of continental Europe.

Ashley McCulla, managing director at McCulla said: “Our second-generation, family-owned business has shown great resilience, adaptability, and innovation since we established our company over 50 years’ ago. Our investment in sustainable transport solutions is testament to this as we explore all technologies available to provide greener fleet options for our customers. We are excited to be working with HVS here in Ireland to experience the benefits that hydrogen fuel cell technology can bring to our heavy goods operations for the long term.”

The partnership agreement will support McCulla with its understanding of hydrogen electric fuel cell technology as these ”groundbreaking” zero-emission vehicles become available for trial in late 2025. The sharing of vehicle data, total cost of ownership modelling, route planning, infrastructure support and performance optimisation are just some of the benefits available to clients looking to trial a HVS FCEV.

John McLeister, chief commercial officer for HVS said: “As a market leader, McCulla understands the importance of investing in new technologies, and we are delighted to be working with Ashley and his team to help bring our revolutionary zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell trucks onto their fleet. We are providing a full end-to-end solution that includes not just the truck but support with the hydrogen infrastructure that will be critical to a successful hydrogen eco system. With the recent policy announcement by the Ireland Government to provide support for fleet operators via the Zero Emission Heavy Duty Vehicle Purchase Grant, we are confident that we can accelerate the hydrogen economy, helping operators to transition to net zero and create a greener, cleaner future for generations to come.”

HVS aims to revolutionise the heavy-duty commercial vehicle industry with its ’state-of-the-art’ powertrain solution, designed as a native Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) from the ground up. It has been designed for superior efficiency, outstanding performance, and a reduced environmental impact by offering heavier payloads, longer range and faster refuelling compared to battery electric alternatives.