Daimler Truck Plans Major Hydrogen-Lorry Investment Alongside Battery Models
Daimler Truck plans to invest several hundred million euros in hydrogen-powered trucks by the end of the decade. A small series of 100 fuel-cell vehicles is due to enter customer operations from the end of this year, complementing the manufacturer’s battery-electric range.
Several hundred million euros for hydrogen trucks
Daimler Truck plans to invest a mid-three-digit million-euro amount—several hundred million euros—in hydrogen-powered trucks by the end of the decade. Chief executive Karin Rådström disclosed the plan in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur, published by Badische Zeitung. The commitment comes after substantial investment in battery-electric vehicles and is intended to establish hydrogen as a second route for decarbonising European road freight.
The Leinfelden-Echterdingen-based commercial-vehicle manufacturer is maintaining this dual strategy as several other automotive companies retreat from hydrogen technology. Rådström said Daimler Truck continues to regard hydrogen as part of the solution for cutting emissions from European trucking. The group already sells fully electric trucks, although these vehicles still account for a small share of its total sales. Hydrogen models are even less common in commercial operation.
Payload, range and refuelling shape the business case
Daimler Truck sees the clearest case for hydrogen among operators that require greater payload capacity and longer range. Refuelling is also considerably faster than fully charging a battery. These characteristics could make fuel-cell trucks useful on demanding long-distance routes, particularly where vehicle utilisation and cargo capacity leave little room for lengthy charging stops or heavy battery packs.
Rådström nevertheless described these clear-cut applications as a relatively small percentage of the market. For many transport assignments, either battery-electric or hydrogen technology could work. The commercial choice will depend heavily on national hydrogen and electricity prices, as well as the availability of charging stations, hydrogen filling facilities and supporting energy networks. Daimler Truck also expects limits to the expansion of electricity infrastructure, strengthening its argument for retaining an alternative zero-emission technology.
Customer deployment and infrastructure partnerships
After conducting prototype trials, Daimler Truck intends to place a small series of 100 hydrogen vehicles into customer operations from the end of this year. Their fuel cells generate electricity through a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. The deployment will give operators practical experience while allowing the manufacturer to assess performance, refuelling requirements and the economics of fuel-cell trucks under working conditions.
The company is also trying to coordinate vehicle development with infrastructure supply. Daimler Truck announced that it would work with businesses from the transport, energy and industrial sectors to develop a hydrogen ecosystem, with details due to be presented at a trade fair in Hanover the following week. The approach reflects a central challenge for the sector: truck manufacturers need reliable hydrogen availability to sell vehicles, while fuel suppliers and station operators need sufficient fleets to justify investment. For hauliers, the viability of Daimler Truck’s strategy will therefore depend not only on vehicle performance but also on local energy costs and the pace at which refuelling networks are built.
