- Toyota has delivered four Toyota Mirai, the company’s fuel cell vehicle, to Vecttor, a subsidiary of the Cabify Group, to be used as rental vehicles with driver (VTC).
- This is the first VTC fleet that uses hydrogen as an energy source in Spain, taking a significant step towards zero-emission mobility.
- Refueling will take place at the hydrogen refueling station that the Enagás subsidiary, Scale Gas, has in Madrid, on Avenida de Manoteras.
Cabify and Toyota come together to present the first fleet of rental vehicles with driver (VTC) that use hydrogen as an energy source in Spain. Toyota has already delivered four first-generation Toyota Mirai that will make up the fleet, which may be expanded with more units at the end of the year.
Cabify’s commitment to Toyota fuel cell electric vehicles powered by hydrogen is highly relevant for the mobility sector, since it is the first time that fuel cell technology has been incorporated as an emission-free alternative for customers of VTC vehicles in Spain.
The Toyota Mirai fleet, which will operate in Vecttor, uses hydrogen as an energy source to generate, within the fuel cell, the electricity needed to power the electric motor, generating water as the only waste in the entire process. The refueling time of these vehicles is only between 3 and 5 minutes, similar to that of a conventional combustion vehicle, and they offer a range of around 550 km.
The Toyota Mirai will be available within the Cabify Eco category, designed for corporate mobility customers where only electrified vehicles (hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric) are included. They will also be in the rest of the categories for private users, such as Cabify, As soon as possible or Kids.
The refueling will take place at the private hydrogen plant that the Enagás subsidiary, Scale Gas, has at Avenida de Manoteras 34 in Madrid. It was inaugurated in January 2021 and is the first refueling station in Spain that allows hydrogen to be recharged at 700 bar.
Miguel Carsi, President and CEO of Toyota Spain, has remarked at the presentation event of this agreement “the relevance of having the technology ready to make the first fleet of HCVs powered by hydrogen in Spain available to Cabify. Toyota is prepared to continue advancing towards zero emission mobility where hydrogen plays an important role as an energy vector”. In addition, in his speech he thanked the Enagás company and its subsidiary Scale Gas for facilitating the refueling of this fleet in its hydro generator.
For his part, Daniel Bedoya, Regional Manager of Cabify in Spain, stated that “this alliance with Toyota is one more step in our commitment to accelerating sustainable mobility, innovating and betting on alternatives that make life easier for people and companies, and make our cities a better place to live. Being accompanied by companies such as Toyota and Enagás is a guarantee that the trip will be a complete success”.
In the words of Arturo Gonzalo, CEO of Enagás, “this agreement is in line with the plan outlined in the Hydrogen Roadmap of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, it is an example of collaboration between companies and represents a milestone in sustainable mobility and a further step in Enagás’ commitment to the decarbonisation of transport”. In addition, he recalled that in 2021 “we launched, through Scale Gas and together with our partners, the first hydrogen refueling station in Spain for long-range fuel cell electric vehicles, which will supply this fleet of Cabify vehicles and with which we continue to contribute to the integration of alternative fuels”.
With this operation, the three companies reinforce their commitment to achieve decarbonisation of cities, especially in large urban environments. Hydrogen is a key energy vector in this process, since it is an unlimited energy source, which can be obtained in a sustainable way, is easy to store and transport, and can be used in very different fields, from transport to air conditioning in homes. and buildings.
For its part, Cabify continues to advance in its commitment to decarbonisation, betting on innovative technologies. In 2018, Cabify became the first carbon-neutral platform in its sector, and since then it offsets its emissions and those of its passengers, and complies with an annual reduction commitment. In addition, the Spanish company recently presented its Sustainable Business Strategy 2022-2025, the guide that will mark Cabify’s projects and that is firmly committed to combating climate change, with the aim of decarbonizing the fleet connected to its app in Spain and in Latin America. Cabify maintains the goal that 100% of trips on its platform be in decarbonized or electric fleets by 2025 in Spain and 2030 in Latin America.
Toyota and the hydrogen society
Toyota, with its Toyota and Lexus brands, is a world leader in the sale of electrified models – that is, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery electric and fuel cell vehicles – with more than 20 million electrified cars sold worldwide and 400,000 units in Spain since 1997. To face environmental challenges, the company places hydrogen technologies at the forefront, promoting the use of this energy source as one of the pillars of sustainability for tomorrow’s society.
About Cabify
Cabify is a Spanish multimobility platform for people and objects that offers various alternatives to reduce urban travel in private cars, taking advantage of technology to make cities better places to live. And, all this, being an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable company. Cabify has been transforming the way of moving around the city for 10 years, it has more than 42 million registered users and 1,200,000 collaborating drivers and taxi drivers. After being born in Madrid, the company spread, after a few months, to Latin America and is currently present in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.
About Enagas
Enagás is a European operator of gas transmission systems with 50 years of experience in the development, operation and maintenance of energy infrastructures. The company operates in eight countries, has more than 12,000 kilometers of gas pipelines, three underground storage facilities and nine regasification plants. It is the main transporter of natural gas in Spain and the Technical Manager of the Gas System. The company has committed to being carbon neutral by 2040 and developing projects that promote renewable gases —hydrogen and biomethane—, sustainable mobility and energy efficiency, among other areas.
Scale Gas is a subsidiary that emerged from Enagás Emprende, the Enagás Corporate Venturing for the investment and acceleration of startups and innovative technologies in the field of energy transition, with special emphasis on renewable gases (biogas and hydrogen), sustainable mobility, energy efficiency , digitization and cleantech in general.
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