The new company, hylane Netherlands BV, will operate under the same pay-per-use model established in Germany. Businesses will be able to rent zero-emission vehicles and pay only for kilometres driven, with maintenance, insurance and servicing included. Fuel and drivers are not part of the package.
The move is supported by the Dutch government’s SWiM programme (Subsidieregeling Waterstof in Mobiliteit), which subsidises up to 80% of the price difference between diesel and hydrogen trucks. Hylane said the funding would be passed on to customers through lower rental rates. The programme also supports the expansion of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
At launch, hylane Netherlands will offer three types of trucks:
- MAN’s hydrogen combustion model with a range of up to 600 km and refuelling time of around 15 minutes;
- Hyundai’s XCIENT fuel cell truck with a range of 400 km;
- and a battery-electric truck from Daimler with a 500 km range and charging time of around 60 minutes.
Dr Sara Schiffer, Managing Director of hylane GmbH and its Dutch subsidiary, said the expansion reflected customer demand across borders:
“Many of our customers operate cross-border—thus, it is a logical step for us to expand our offering internationally.”
Participation in the SWiM programme required partnerships with refuelling providers. Hylane has formed consortia with three Dutch operators: TEAL Mobility, Fountain Fuel and Vissers.
Rental customers will have access to the hydrogen network via a fuel card system.
The Netherlands’ status as a major logistics hub, particularly around the Port of Rotterdam, and its existing hydrogen infrastructure were cited as key factors behind the expansion.
Kees Verbogt, policy advisor at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, said:
“With SWiM we try to help fixing a chicken and egg situation: funding refilling stations and vehicles at the same time.”
