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 also: Cellcentric Secures Land for Fuel Cell Production Facility in Germany Amid Delays
“I am excited to contribute my experience and ideas to Cellcentric as Chief Operating Officer,” Wörner said. “Cellcentric has a compelling structure for the successful industrialisation and market leadership of fuel cells for heavy-duty applications.”
Loughlan said Wörner’s background would strengthen the venture’s operational capabilities. “His extensive and diverse experience in production and production technology is a fantastic asset for Cellcentric,” he said.
Wörner previously held senior manufacturing and operations roles at Bosch, working across facilities in Germany and the United States, and most recently served as COO for EU and U.S. operations at AESC, which produces batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
See also: Cellcentric Unveils Next-Generation Fuel Cell System for Long-Haul Trucks
Cellcentric was founded in 2021 to develop and manufacture fuel cell systems for heavy-duty commercial vehicles. The company is building a dedicated production facility in Weilheim an der Teck, in Germany’s Baden-Württemberg region, although the project has faced delays. Meanwhile, Daimler Truck has pushed back plans for series production of fuel cell electric trucks into the 2030s, a shift that has prompted Cellcentric to reassess its own industrial timelines.
Source: Electrive
