In recent weeks, Suez Group employees had the first Citroen e-Jumpy Hydrogen tested under actual working conditions at the Carcassonne site. Their feedback on the brand's first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle was very positive and thus underlined how well the hydrogen transporter is adapted to everyday use. The Citroen e-Jumpy Hydrogen was used for various tasks, including transporting material and small and large equipment between construction sites and emergency repairs. The daily work of Suez employees requires a vehicle with them around the clock. The individual trips within the city and in the outskirts are relatively short (around 100 kilometers) but numerous. Therefore, the vehicles must be available quickly and at all times!
Citroen's choice of hydrogen technology is entirely in line with the brand's electrification strategy and the desire to offer different technical solutions depending on the intended use. The Citroen e-Jumpy Hydrogen completes the range of light electric commercial vehicles, from the My Ami Cargo, available in France, to the Citroen e-Berlingo panel van and the Citroen e-Jumpy to the Citroen e-Jumper. Electrification is based on the principle of not compromising capacity or practicality. The hydrogen solution is aimed at those who need a range of more than 300 kilometers for long journeys and who need a vehicle that charges quickly to maximize usage time and unrestricted access to inner cities.
The Citroen e-Jumpy Hydrogen with hybrid electro-hydrogen technology offers a high comfort level. The user can go about his activities in peace without worrying about the range or the charging capacities. Moreover, the excellent driving pleasure was very well received by the Suez testers: "You quickly get used to the smooth and quiet driving of the Citroen e-Jumpy Hydrogen, which is evident in all situations turns out to be very easy and pleasant."
The potential uses are remarkably various due to a range of up to 400 km in the WLTP cycle. "In terms of powertrain, the Citroen e-Jumpy Hydrogen offers good range; there were no difficulties charging the battery or filling the hydrogen tank," is the feedback from Suez employees.
Citroen has ensured that the loading capacity of the e-Jumpy Hydrogen is not affected by the integration of the battery and the hydrogen tanks. The battery has been installed under the seats, and the three hydrogen tanks are under the floor. Therefore, the practical volume is unchanged compared to the electric, petrol, and diesel versions: 5.3 m³ for the medium length and 6.1 m³ for the XL. The payload and trailer load can also reach up to 1,000 kg. The loading width of 1.25 m is sufficient to stow Euro pallets. "The Citroen e-Jumpy Hydrogen has the same usable space as the combustion engine version, which is a key factor for us as we regularly use more than half the vehicle volume. It also makes it easier to store and handle the equipment we transport," says the Suez staff.
Many companies, such as the Suez Group, which are strongly committed to reducing their ecological footprint, have a strategic interest in using a hydrogen ecosystem to improve the environmental performance of their fleet. Other sectors include municipal services and local authorities, the transport and logistics sector, and express and courier services, which usually have to cover shorter or longer distances at short notice.
In the energy transition context, the challenge is to develop renewable green hydrogen production by electrolysis of water using electricity from wind or solar energy or biogas from the decomposition of household waste. Suez Group, for example, has launched a project in collaboration with Siperrec, intending to build the first plant for the production and distribution of green hydrogen (electricity from the combustion of household waste transformed into Hydrogen by electrolysis of water). It will be built in an energy recovery plant in Créteil in France and is expected to go into operation at the end of 2022. This plant should disperse up to one ton of hydrogen per day, thus avoiding the emission of 1,300 tons of CO 2 per year.
"With the Citroen e-Jumpy Hydrogen, the brand has reached a new milestone in its electrification strategy. The hydrogen van completes our range of zero-emission light commercial vehicles, one of the largest on the market. This new solution combines the technologies of a lithium-ion battery with a fuel cell to respond to the daily needs of tradespeople, thanks to a refueling time of just three minutes and a range of up to 400 kilometers. This technology will play an essential role in the introduction of zero-emission mobility solutions for professionals," explains Richard Meyer, Strategy & International Development Light Commercial Vehicles, PSA Group.
