The unveiling on Wednesday of a new hydrogen-powered truck by Volvo Group marks a decisive moment for the future of long-haul transport. Presented alongside plans by Toyota Motor Corporation to join Daimler Truck and Volvo as equal shareholders in their fuel-cell joint venture Cellcentric, the move highlights a growing industrial push to bring hydrogen into mainstream freight.
The alliance brings together three of the most influential players in global mobility. Toyota contributes decades of fuel-cell expertise, while Daimler and Volvo dominate the heavy-duty truck market.
Together, they aim to industrialize hydrogen powertrains, reduce costs, and accelerate deployment, addressing what has long been the technology’s biggest weakness: lack of scale.
The timing is far from accidental. Volvo’s hydrogen truck, now moving from prototype to early deployment, reflects a broader shift across the industry. Designed for long-haul operations, the vehicle targets a range of roughly 600 to 1,000 kilometers per refueling, with fast refueling times comparable to diesel.
It builds on Volvo’s existing electric truck architecture, integrating a fuel-cell system that generates electricity onboard, emitting only water vapor.
Competition for Mercedes-Benz GenH2
This places it directly in competition with Daimler’s more advanced hydrogen platform, the Mercedes-Benz GenH2. The latest iteration of that truck offers a clear indication of where the technology is heading.
Equipped with dual fuel-cell systems delivering around 300 kW of power and supported by a battery buffer, it can store up to 85 kilograms of liquid hydrogen and achieve ranges exceeding 1,000 kilometers under real-world conditions.
Refueling takes just 10 to 15 minutes, and the payload capacity is designed to match that of diesel equivalents—an essential requirement for freight operators.
Daimler’s approach relies on liquid hydrogen, stored at extremely low temperatures, which offers higher energy density and longer range than compressed gas systems. Volvo, by contrast, is still evaluating multiple storage approaches, reflecting broader industry uncertainty over which technological pathway will dominate.
Several pioneers collapsed
Despite these advances, hydrogen’s path has been far from smooth. Several early pioneers have struggled or collapsed under the weight of high costs and slow infrastructure rollout.
Most notably, Nikola Corporation—once one of the most high-profile hydrogen truck startups—has faced repeated setbacks, including financial turmoil, scaling challenges, and credibility issues. Hyzon Motors has also faced serious headwinds, including restructuring efforts and challenges in scaling production and demand.
Other smaller ventures across Europe and the United States have failed to move beyond pilot stages. These setbacks have reinforced investor skepticism and strengthened the argument of battery-electric proponents that hydrogen may be too complex and capital-intensive to succeed at scale.
Established industrial players
Against this backdrop, the entry of established industrial players takes on added significance. Unlike startups, companies such as Toyota, Daimler, and Volvo have the balance sheets, manufacturing capacity, and global reach required to sustain long development cycles and absorb early losses. Their alliance suggests that hydrogen is moving out of the speculative startup phase and into a more structured, industrial phase.
Both manufacturers share a common strategy: hydrogen is not intended to replace batteries, but to complement them. Battery-electric trucks are rapidly gaining ground in urban and regional transport, where shorter routes and depot charging make them practical. Long-haul freight, however, remains a challenge due to charging time, vehicle weight, and grid constraints.
Hydrogen proponents argue that fuel cells provide a viable solution for these demanding use cases. With ranges comparable to diesel and rapid refueling, hydrogen trucks could maintain the operational patterns that logistics companies rely on today.
Real-world trials suggest hydrogen consumption rates of roughly 5.6 to 8 kilograms per 100 kilometers, depending on load and conditions, indicating that efficiency is already approaching commercially relevant levels.
Massive upfront investment
Yet the industry remains divided. On one side are the believers—Toyota, Volvo, Daimler, and Hyundai—who see hydrogen as essential for decarbonizing heavy transport. On the other hand are the skeptics, including Tesla and BYD, who argue that battery-electric solutions will ultimately prevail due to higher efficiency and faster scalability.
The split reflects bigger strategic differences. Hydrogen requires massive upfront investment in production and infrastructure, making it a slower and riskier pathway. But it also offers potential long-term advantages, particularly in a geopolitical environment shaped by energy insecurity and volatile oil markets.
For Europe and Japan, hydrogen represents not just a technological option but a route toward greater energy independence, allowing renewable electricity to be converted into transport fuel.
Even as early discoveries of naturally occurring (white) hydrogen on the French-Belgian border hint at future supply alternatives, their commercial viability remains unclear.
