Hyvia: hydrogen-powered trucks (Renault Plug Power joint venture)

Hyvia is a joint venture between Renault Group (automotive) and Plug Power (hydrogen specialist) to develop hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles and hydrogen stations.


One of the main advantages of hydrogen is that it can be used to electrify applications for which “direct” means (battery for storage and resistance for heat) do not work. One of these sectors is (or could be) heavy mobility, for which the weight of batteries would be too great to be viable. We are therefore seeing the development of hydrogen-powered heavy mobility projects.

This is where Hyvia comes in.

Hyvia products: heavy-duty vehicles and hydrogen stations

Founded by Renault Group and Plug Power Inc (hydrogen solutions) on June 3, 2021, the joint venture is developing hydrogen-powered trucks, hydrogen-powered buses and turnkey solutions (hydrogen stations).

The company has developed prototypes for three vehicles in 2021:

  • Renault Master Van H2-TECH: A van capable of loading 12 m³ of goods and a range of up to 500 km.
  • Renault Master City Bus H2-TECH: an urban minibus capable of carrying 15 passengers, equipped with a 30kW fuel cell, a 33kWh battery and 2 1.5kg H2 tanks at 700bars (which would give a range of around 300 km).
  • Renault Master Châssis Cabine H2-TECH: A heavy-duty vehicle (chassis) (capable of towing a 19 m³ container) equipped with a 30kW fuel cell, a 33kWh battery and a 4.5kg tank of H2 at 350 bars (giving a range of 250km).

The company is also developing a recharging station.

Hyvia: a French business for Europe

Hyvia’s operations would be located entirely in France: R&D and headquarters would be in Villiers Saint-Frédéric, the fuel cells and hydrogen recharging station would be assembled in Flins, the electric motors would be produced in Cléon, the Renault Master production plant is in Batilly , and the PVI (Renault Vehicle Innovation)plant in Gretz Amainvilliers would be responsible for integrating the fuel cell into the vehicle.

David Holderbach, CEO of HYVIA, aims to take “a 30% market share of hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicles in Europe by 2030.”(Hyvia)


To find out more:

  • https://fr.media.renaultgroup.com/actualites/hyvia-la-nouvelle-voie-vers-la-mobilite-hydrogene-verte-1eea-e3532.html
  • https://fr.media.renaultgroup.com/actualites/renault-group-et-plug-power-creent-hyvia-coentreprise-dediee-a-la-mobilite-hydrogene-3f46-e3532.html