GCK obtains the 1st worldwide homologation for a hydrogen retrofitted coach intended for series production.

• Christophe Béchu, Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, today presented Philippe Jacques, Managing Director of GCK Mobility, a subsidiary of the GCK Group, with the homologation certificate for a hydrogen retrofitted coach.

• The approval was obtained after the IVECO Crossway coach, retrofitted by GCK Mobility with a hydrogen fuel cell, passed all the UTAC and CNRV approval tests.

• This is a world first, with the very first retrofitted vehicle to obtain road homologation of this type, which will enable it to go into series production. This certification confirms the Group’s vision of decarbonising transport and marks the start of its industrialisation, with around a hundred vehicles under contract with its various customers.

Clermont-Ferrand, 23 February 2024 – Christophe Béchu, Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, was in Clermont-Ferrand on 23 February. During his visit, the Minister presented Philippe Jacques, Managing Director of GCK Mobility, with the certificate for the very first homologation of a hydrogen retrofitted coach intended for series production.

This certification is the culmination of the long-term work carried out by GCK Mobility (a GCK subsidiary) with UTAC and CNRV. The two certification bodies validated all the tests carried out on the Iveco Crossway NF 80 retrofitted by GCK Mobility. The coach was converted in the workshops of the GCK group subsidiary at its Cournon site (Puy-de-Dôme). It is fitted with a hydrogen fuel cell installed in the engine compartment, which supplies the batteries for the electric motor. In terms of performance, the coach has a range of 500 km, with a recharge time of 15 to 20 minutes.

This is a world first, as it is the first time that a vehicle has received road homologation of this type. The retrofitted Iveco Crossway NF 80 is not only roadworthy, it can also be mass-produced by GCK Mobility.

This step marks a significant advance in the development of GCK, which, after several months of R&D, is launching the industrialisation of its production at the start of 2024, with more than 100 vehicles already under contract with several customers. More generally, this approval gives credibility to the retrofit sector and goes further than the demonstrators and prototypes developed in recent years. The aim now is to roll out hydrogen on a massive scale, confirming that it is the only energy source capable of meeting the needs of heavy-duty vehicles.

Christophe Béchu’s presentation of the approval is in line with one of the government’s political priorities, which is to reindustrialise France while taking into account the challenges of the ecological transition. By launching the industrial production of a solution for decarbonising mobility, the GCK Group is combining these two priorities.

Christophe Béchu, Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion: ‘Very early on, we believed in the potential of the hydrogen sector. Because it offers solutions for decarbonising our mobility, but also because it is part of a fundamental movement to reindustrialise our regions. With this first bus retrofitted with hydrogen by GCK to be approved for series production, a world first, we are showing that France is on the right track, and it was important for me to come here to Clermont Ferrand to hand over this approval certificate’.

Eric Boudot, Chairman of GCK: ‘I would like to congratulate the GCK Mobility teams, who worked for several months in partnership with UTAC and CNRV to obtain this certification, a world first! Thank you to Minister Christophe Béchu for the official presentation of this certificate, which is an important milestone for the group and demonstrates the government’s support. We’re ready to roll out our solutions for decarbonising transport on a large scale. The year 2024 will be the year of industrialisation and the realisation of all the R&D investments made by the Group since its creation’.

Press contact GCK

Eloi Formery

06 74 79 93 54 / presse.gck@taddeo.fr