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.
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“The goal is to reliably support the market ramp-up of hydrogen trucks, thereby making an important contribution to climate protection and strengthening the transformation of the German automotive and supplier industry towards alternative drivetrains,” the ministry said in a statement.
Companies can submit applications until May 31, 2026. Rather than funding individual assets, the scheme focuses on combined packages linking at least one hydrogen refuelling station with a fleet of hydrogen-powered trucks. The ministry said this approach is intended to address the “chicken-and-egg” problem by ensuring stations have sufficient demand from the outset, while haulage companies gain access to dependable refuelling options.
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According to the call, up to 40 refuelling stations and around 400 vehicles could be supported, although the final number will depend on project prioritisation and available budget. At least 10% of a station’s daily refuelling capacity must be covered by existing or newly procured vehicles. Vehicle fleets may also be funded at existing or planned stations if utilisation requirements are met.
Under the scheme, hydrogen refuelling stations can receive grants covering up to 50% of eligible investment costs, capped at €4 million. Hydrogen-powered vehicles can receive up to 80% of the additional cost compared with diesel models, with vehicle funding capped at €3 million per package. This puts the maximum funding per application at €7 million.
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Germany’s Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder said hydrogen would play a complementary role alongside battery-electric drivetrains in decarbonising heavy-duty transport. “This resolves the chicken-and-egg problem: truck drivers find reliable refuelling options, and refuelling stations are utilised from the outset,” he said. “Step by step, this will create a reliable core network.”
The programme is closely tied to Germany’s obligation to comply with the EU’s Regulation on the Deployment of Alternative Fuels Infrastructure (AFIR). Under the regulation, member states must ensure at least one publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling station in all relevant urban nodes by 2030, and stations at least every 200 kilometres along the TEN-V core motorway network.
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Germany currently lags behind these targets. The country’s public hydrogen refuelling network has shrunk to around 50 stations, down from more than 90 previously, following the decommissioning of older sites operated by H2 Mobility that were primarily designed for passenger fuel-cell cars. Around 35 stations are currently suitable for hydrogen trucks.
Industry groups have broadly welcomed the funding. The German Federal Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics said the programme could help test hydrogen technologies in real-world operations. “A funding programme is interesting for testing technical developments in real time and providing manufacturers with direct feedback,” said Simon Brück, head of environmental, climate and energy policy at the association.
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However, questions remain over long-term technology choices. While most current hydrogen trucks use compressed hydrogen at 350 bar, manufacturers such as Daimler Truck are developing vehicles based on liquid hydrogen, which would require different refuelling technologies. It is also unclear whether new stations funded under the scheme will be open to third-party users, an issue that limited utilisation under earlier support programmes.
Hydrogen trucks remain a niche in Germany, partly due to limited availability of series-produced models. By contrast, manufacturers expect battery-electric trucks to account for around half of heavy-duty vehicle sales by 2030, with the remainder split between diesel, alternative fuels and hydrogen-based drivetrains.
