- To coincide with Solutrans, Watèa by Michelin, a mobility operator specialized in the energy transition of professional fleets, is extending its offering to propose hydrogen vehicles.
- The new service will enable Watèa clients to reap the many benefits of hydrogen mobility.
- Hydrogen is confirming its increasing role in fleet electrification, with a 40% increase in the number of fuel cell vehicles on roads worldwide in 2022.
To coincide with the Solutrans 2023 trade fair, Watèa by Michelin, a mobility operator specialized in the energy transition of professional fleets, is unveiling a brand-new Hydrogen offering.
The new service will enable Watèa clients to reap the many benefits of hydrogen mobility. Indeed, hydrogen vehicles deliver greater autonomy and considerably quicker charging times than battery electric vehicles. With the new hydrogen offering, Watèa clients will gain access to greater operational availability for their fleet, with uses very similar to those of combustion-powered vehicles.
In real terms, the offer provides a subscription-based one-stop service which includes hydrogen vehicles, charging solutions, maintenance & 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 administrative procedures with the organizations concerned.
In keeping with its decarbonization mission, Watèa has also chosen to enable its clients to refuel with renewable and low-carbon hydrogen.
For Pascal Nouvellon, Watèa CEO and President: “To make strides in decarbonizing 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 propose its offering for hydrogen electric vehicles, 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 offering is fully in accordance with the new hydrogen strategy regarding transport decarbonization recently set in France. On a national and international level, hydrogen mobility is confirming its 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 offering: battery electric vehicles, charging solutions, financing and more.
About Watèa
Through an all-in-one global offering adapted to the needs of business, Watèa provides battery and hydrogen electric vehicles, access to a charging infrastructure and digital services, thus guaranteeing business continuity. Thanks to a monthly subscription system, costs are under control.
A subsidiary of the Michelin Group and Crédit Agricole Leasing & Factoring, Watèa forms part of the core purpose of its shareholders and their values surrounding sustainable mobility, innovation, trustworthiness and customer care.
About Michelin
Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to sustainably enhancing its clients’ mobility; designing and distributing the most suitable tires, services, and solutions for its clients’ needs; providing digital services, maps, and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 175 countries, has 132,200 employees and operates 67 tire production facilities which together produced around 167 million tires in 2022.
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