Author: Oliver Grant

Germany’s federal government has opened a new €220 million funding programme to support the construction of hydrogen refuelling stations and the deployment of hydrogen-powered trucks, aiming to establish a core network for heavy goods transport in line with European Union requirements. The Federal Ministry of Transport said the call is designed to create a nationwide initial network of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations for commercial vehicles, while simultaneously supporting fuel-cell and hydrogen combustion trucks that will ensure early utilisation of the infrastructure. See also: Daimler Truck Moves Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck Into Small-Series Production “The goal is to reliably support…

DAF Trucks said it is expanding its fully electric truck portfolio to include 6×2, 6×4 and 8×4 configurations, targeting specialised transport and construction applications as it broadens its zero-emission offering beyond long-haul and distribution use. The new axle variants will be available across the XD and XF Electric ranges, as well as the newer XG and XG+ Electric models, which feature larger cabs aimed at long-distance operations. All vehicles are produced at DAF’s Eindhoven plant and are battery-electric versions of platforms previously offered only with internal combustion engines. DAF said the electric versions were integrated into the vehicle development process…

Pilot Travel Centers has reached an agreement with Tesla to install high-power charging stations dedicated to the Tesla Semi at selected truck stop locations across the United States, marking a significant step in the build-out of charging infrastructure for electric heavy-duty vehicles. The first charging hubs will be built along major freight routes including Interstate 5 and Interstate 10, with additional sites planned on other key transport corridors. Pilot said construction is set to begin in the first half of the year at locations in California, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, with the first stations expected to become operational…

Daimler Truck said it will begin small-scale series production of its hydrogen fuel cell truck, unveiling the next generation of its H2-powered tractor unit as it continues to balance battery-electric and hydrogen technologies in Europe. The company said 100 units of the new Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 Truck will be built at its Wörth plant and delivered to customers starting at the end of the year. The vehicle represents the latest evolution of Daimler Truck’s fuel-cell heavy goods vehicle programme following several years of prototype testing. See also: Daimler Truck, Kawasaki, and Port of Hamburg Partner To Explore Green Hydrogen Supply Chain…

Hydrexia Pty Ltd will supply Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Ltd with relocatable hydrogen refueling stations as part of an agreement covering the supply, operation and maintenance of the equipment, the companies said, supporting the rollout of fuel cell electric vehicles in the Australian market. The agreement expands an existing partnership between Hydrexia and Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Ltd, following earlier deployments of similar hydrogen refueling systems for Toyota operations in Malaysia and the Philippines. Under the latest deal, multiple relocatable hydrogen refueling stations will be installed to provide flexible infrastructure to support Toyota’s hydrogen-powered vehicles. “Australian consumers will continue to…

Swiss power electronics manufacturer Brusa HyPower will take over development of a key power electronics component for Cellcentric, the fuel cell joint venture between Daimler Truck and Volvo Group, as the partners prepare for series production later this decade. Cellcentric said Brusa HyPower will be responsible for developing the Fuel Cell Interface (FCI), a central element of its next-generation fuel cell system. The FCI acts as a DC/DC converter, transforming fuel cell voltage to the vehicle’s high-voltage network, monitoring the fuel cell, isolating it safely when required and supplying power to high-voltage components within the system. See also: Honda to…

RWTH Aachen University said its Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) has completed the SeLv research project, delivering a modular technology kit for electric heavy-duty trucks equipped with fuel cell range extenders that is designed for rapid transfer to industrial use. The project, funded by the German government with €16.9 million, has been underway since 2021 and focused on developing a battery-electric powertrain with a hydrogen fuel cell extender for commercial vehicles with a permissible gross weight of up to 41 tonnes. After more than five years of work and the construction of three prototypes, the system is…

Honda Motor said it will discontinue fuel cell system production at Fuel Cell System Manufacturing (FCSM), its joint venture with General Motors, by the end of 2026, as it transitions to fuel cell technology developed independently. FCSM, located in Brownstown, Michigan, was established in 2017 as the automotive industry’s first joint venture dedicated to mass production of fuel cell systems. Honda said the decision followed discussions between the two companies and reflects a strategic shift toward its own next-generation hydrogen technologies. During its operation, the joint venture focused on improving fuel cell durability, enhancing low-temperature performance and reducing costs through…

Cellcentric, the fuel cell joint venture between Daimler Truck and Volvo Group, said it has appointed Kai Wörner as chief operating officer and managing director, effective January 2026, as the company continues to refine its production strategy for hydrogen fuel cells in heavy-duty vehicles. Wörner will take responsibility for Cellcentric’s operational business as COO while also sharing overall management duties as a managing director, the company said in a statement. He joins the executive board alongside chief financial officer Niklas Ekström and chief technology officer Nicholas Loughlan, who is also a managing director and acts as Cellcentric’s external spokesperson. See…

Germany’s limited and often unreliable hydrogen refuelling infrastructure remains a major obstacle for logistics companies seeking to deploy fuel cell trucks, prompting a new research initiative aimed at improving transparency, planning and utilisation of existing stations. The Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen University is leading the “HyConnect” project, which is developing a digital platform designed to support the efficient use of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. The project brings together refuelling station operator H2 Mobility, hydrogen producer and logistics provider H2 Green Power & Logistics, logistics software company Mansio and the Digital Supply Chain research group…

Researchers at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society in Berlin have gained new insights into how catalysts function inside hydrogen fuel cells, findings that could help guide future improvements in efficiency, durability and material use in the technology. Unlike catalysts in internal combustion engines, which are used to reduce harmful exhaust emissions, fuel cell catalysts play a direct role in generating electricity. In hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen is not burned but electrochemically converted into electrical power. Catalysts accelerate the otherwise slow reactions at the anode, where hydrogen is split into protons and electrons, and at the cathode,…

Hyundai Motor Group said it has secured an order for 224 hydrogen fuel-cell buses from the state-owned Guangzhou Public Transport Group, describing it as the largest single order for hydrogen buses in China to date. The buses will be supplied by HTWO Guangzhou, Hyundai’s China-based hydrogen unit, in partnership with local commercial vehicle maker Kaiwo Group. The two companies will jointly deliver the vehicles, which will form about half of Guangzhou Public Transport Group’s broader procurement of roughly 450 hydrogen buses under the tender. Financial terms were not disclosed. See also: Hyundai Ramps Up Hydrogen Bus Production in South Korea…