The joint venture between Holthausen and HYZON was concluded last Friday. But actually they have been producing trucks for several months in Hoogezand for the American partner, who is located in an old General Motors factory in New York.
Secret
“We didn’t want to publicize it until after we finished up and running ‘, Max Holthausen explains. “Before, great things were sometimes said, and then nothing came of it. That is why we kept it a secret for a while. But now everything, including the financing, has been completed. ‘
Not much changes. We have already converted trucks into hydrogen trucks. We are now going to build our own brand
Holthausen becomes the headquarters and producer of HYZON hydrogen trucks for the European market. “For the EU, Scandinavia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom,” explains Holthausen.
From conversion to construction
Not that a lot will change for the Hoogezandster company. Because Max and his father Carl Holthausen were already building hydrogen trucks and commercial vehicles on the Transportweg. ‘Although that was more the conversion of existing DAFs that ran on diesel. What we will be doing soon, or have been doing for a few months, is building trucks of our own brand. ‘
However, there will be considerable expansion. It is the intention that in about three or four years 2000 hydrogen trucks from Groningen will roll off the conveyor belt every year.
1000 jobs
“That is the goal. We want to go there step by step. We currently have a capacity of 50 to 100 trucks per year. We want to make at least 300 of these next year, in order to go towards 2000, ‘says Holthausen.
The number of direct and indirect jobs that this will generate could well be around 1000.
New location
This therefore requires more business space. The company is currently diligently looking for a property, or a location for a new building, where their new factory will be built to build those hydrogen trucks. The investment for this has now been received.
We prefer to stay in Groningen, because we come from here and started here
Max Holthausen: ‘We are talking to various parties in the Northern Netherlands. So that is all still open, although we prefer to stay in Groningen, because we came from here and started here. ‘
‘Municipality of Groningen gave us the opportunity’
In addition, Holthausen confesses: ‘One of our largest customers, and one party that made it possible for us to start with hydrogen, is the municipality of Groningen. They have given us the opportunity, and we want to give something in return. Now that we can tackle this in a big way with a foreign partner, we would like to keep this in the Northern Netherlands, and preferably in Groningen. ‘
Besides in New York and now also in Hoogezand, HYZON Motors already has a factory in China. A branch in Australia has already been announced. The European market must now be conquered with father and son Holthausen.
Also read:
– Timmermans: hydrogen plans Europe an opportunity for Groningen
– Hesla creator Max Holthausen wins Reuringprijs
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