FORVIA (Nanterre, France), the world’s seventh largest automotive technology supplier, has won a contract to supply Type IV hydrogen storage systems for an unnamed North American manufacturer’s medium-duty commercial trucks.

A master of Type IV and Type III H2 storage tanks.

FORVIA has established itself as a leader in Type III and Type IV hydrogen storage tanks, making them a top choice for manufacturers of commercial H2 trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles. Both of these storage solutions are constructed with carbon fiber winding and have been designed to store hydrogen gas.

That being said, the two tanks are different from one another in that the Type III storage tank is made with a metallic liner while the Type IV tank is made with a polymer liner. As such, the tanks are used for different purposes.

The Type III tanks are ideally suited for city buses or fleets that refuel at the end of their service or overnight. Essentially, applications that need less autonomy and have less contrast in refueling time.

However, the polymer liner of the Type IV hydrogen storage tanks offers higher durability while providing as much as 15% greater driving autonomy and 30% lighter weight. They also offer benefits such as affordability and convenience. Ultimately, these Type IV tanks that will be supplied to the North American manufacturer are better suited for applications that require higher pressure and more intensive use, such as hydrogen truck applications.

“Today marks a significant milestone for FORVIA as we secure a major automotive contract in North America, solidifying our global leading position in hydrogen storage systems,” commented Patrick Koller, CEO of FORVIA, in a recent news release. “With existing serial production in Europe, China and Korea, FORVIA now boasts an unrivaled global presence. This further demonstrates the trust placed in us by our customers.”

A hydrogen storage systems leader.

FORVIA and its partners have big ambitions when it comes to leveraging hydrogen power as a sustainable energy and accelerating the use of this energy for zero-emission solutions.

In addition to strong growth in the first half of this year (2023), FORVIA notes that Hydrogen Solutions sales are anticipated to rise next year.

Currently, the company has serial production underway in cutting-edge facilities in France, South Korea and China, and has delivered more than 10,000 hydrogen storage tanks in 2022.

A strong automotive footprint in the Americas

Over the years, FORVIA has carefully cemented itself in the Americas and presently operates 60

sites. The region plays a key role in the company’s global operations and, according to FORVIA, accounted for 28% of the Group’s sales in 2022.

Additional locations for its facilities are under evaluation in North America for R&D and to scale production for the North American market.

Production of the Type IV hydrogen storage systems for their latest North American contract is slated to begin in 2025.