Hydrogen propulsion: Daimler, Iveco, and Volvo form an alliance

The commercial vehicle manufacturers IVECO, Daimler Truck AG, OMV, Shell, and the Volvo Group have announced a cooperation to create the prerequisites for the introduction of hydrogen trucks to the European mass market. More and more countries and companies are committing to emission-free transport. The collaborative group H2Accelerate is convinced that hydrogen plays a crucial role as a central element in the complete decarbonization of the truck sector. The introduction of hydrogen-powered trucks in high volumes could also lead to the emergence of new industrial sectors, argue the providers. This includes facilities for CO2-free hydrogen production, large hydrogen distribution systems, a network of high-capacity gas and liquid hydrogen refueling stations, and the production of hydrogen-powered trucks.

The companies involved in the interest group assume that synchronized investments across the entire sector in the 2020s will create the conditions for the mass market introduction of hydrogen-powered heavy trucks. This is a prerequisite for achieving the European goal of emission-free road freight transport by 2050. The nationwide introduction of hydrogen-powered trucks will take about a decade, according to forecasts. Initially, customers who already commit to this technology early on and want to use the corresponding trucks will lead the way, believe the manufacturers. They expect that these trucks will initially be used in regional clusters and along heavily used European transport routes with good hydrogen refueling station coverage. Over the decade, according to forecasts, these clusters will then be connected to create a Europe-wide network.

Two Implementation Phases: Picking Up Speed from the Mid-2020s

The providers anticipate two implementation phases. In the first phase, the initial 20 high-capacity refueling stations and the first hundreds of trucks will be created. In Phase 2, by the second half of the 2020s, they expect a Europe-wide coverage of the main transport routes and annual production numbers increasing to thousands, i.e., a rapid volume increase to over 10,000 trucks. The refueling stations would then feature not only high capacity but also high operational reliability. However, public funds will be required throughout the entire expansion process. The involved parties aim to contribute to acquiring these funds in an initial phase for early pre-series projects. Additionally, they want to work with policymakers and regulatory authorities. The shared goal is to create a political environment that supports future series production of hydrogen trucks and a Europe-wide refueling network for CO2-free hydrogen, as per the intention.

"Climate change is the challenge of our generation and we fully commit to the Paris Climate Agreement and thus to the decarbonization of road freight transport. In the future, transport will be based on a combination of battery-electric and fuel cell-based electric vehicles, as well as, to some extent, other renewable fuels," believes Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO of the Volvo Group.

From the perspective of Martin Daum, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck AG and Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, hydrogen-powered trucks hold the key to CO2-neutral transport in the future. He spoke of an "unprecedented collaboration" and an "important milestone to create and advance the necessary conditions for a broad market for hydrogen-based trucks." Daum also called on politicians to take action and appealed to other involved actors and society. For Gerrit Marx, President Commercial & Specialty Vehicles at CNH Industrial, the widespread introduction of hydrogen-based fuel cell technology in heavy-duty transport depends on the required infrastructure. Concrete projects with logistics companies and other industry players are also necessary to demonstrate that this solution is financially viable and suitable for practical use, advocated the Iveco chief.