France: Lidl ditches EVs for green hydrogen vehicles
The German retailer’s logistics centre in Carquefou is switching part of its logistics operations to FCV.
Discount supermarket chain Lidl is switching the entire battery-electric vehicle fleet of a logistics hub to fuel cells powered by green hydrogen, making it the first of its kind in Europe.
Around 100 forklifts or 80% of the vehicle fleet in the German retailer’s logistics centre in Carquefou, in Western France, already operate on green hydrogen, and the rest is to follow by the end of the year.
There are three hydrogen stations are enough to supply all the site's handling equipment.
“The lifespan of fuel cells (10 years) is longer than that of lead acid battery vehicles (3 to 5 years), which means that the batteries need to be replaced less frequently than if they were used with batteries,” said Lidl in a press release.
Lidl also plans to deploy green hydrogen vehicles at other logistics platforms or to use it to power part of its delivery truck fleet.
With 1,570 supermarkets and 40,000 employees, Lidl France is a major player in the logistics and food market.
