In Germany, a new alliance has been formed to accelerate the commercialization of heavy-duty hydrogen trucks and the necessary infrastructure. The partnership includes manufacturers Daimler Truck, Volvo Group, and Toyota, alongside suppliers and energy companies such as Bosch, Air Liquide, TotalEnergies, TEAL Mobility, and MB Energy.
The alliance aims to build a hydrogen ecosystem along key strategic corridors in Europe, ensuring the supply of hydrogen at competitive prices. This initiative runs parallel to the roll-out of battery-electric trucks. The goal is to achieve competitive total cost of ownership for customers by 2030, combining supportive policy frameworks, OEM offerings, and an integrated supply chain.
The German government is supporting the hydrogen truck network with subsidies totaling €220 million. Over 500 applications were received in response to the first funding call, with awards to be announced in the second half of the year. This funding also covers hydrogen internal combustion engines, as required by the European AFIR regulation.
Daimler Truck and Volvo Group have long cooperated on fuel cell technology through their joint venture, Cellcentric, which Toyota joined as an equal partner this year. While Cellcentric is building a production facility in Weilheim an der Teck, Daimler Truck has postponed series production of its hydrogen trucks until the 2030s, though its Next GenH2 Truck is entering customer testing with partners like Dachser.
