Start-up Hylane now rents out hydrogen trucks

The Cologne-based company is putting climate-friendly commercial vehicles on the roads. Founder Sara Schiffer has already won high-profile customers.

The start-up Hylane is launching the rental of hydrogen trucks. She said this makes the company the first rental company of climate-friendly commercial vehicles in Germany. "We are in talks with renowned transport companies that are willing to join us in a climate-neutral transport of their goods," said founder and CEO Sara Schiffer. The first rental agreements have already been signed, she said. The first customer is logistics service provider DB Schenker.

The pay-per-use model means that customers will only pay for the kilometers they actually drive. All services, except fuel, are already included in the rental price. The start-up also bears the risk of technical failures. Customers can choose from a range of zero-emission vehicles, with a focus on trucks with fuel cells. At the start, vehicles from Hyzon Motors, Hyundai and Daimler Truck will be used. At a later date, the company also plans to rent out vans and buses.

Schiffer founded the start-up in 2021. Hylane is a subsidiary of DEVK Versicherung. The company wants to view climate-friendly mobility as a holistic system. For this reason, the start-up says it is taking care of an appropriate refueling and charging infrastructure, proof of CO2 savings and possible recycling of individual vehicle parts.