Daimler is backing hydrogen and battery-electric
Letter on hydrogen: In for the long haul
New initiatives to secure supplies and build out refuelling networks signal growing confidence in hydrogen-powered trucking in Europe
Germany’s Daimler has highlighted the potential to deploy hydrogen fuel-cell trucks by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Emirati renewables developer Masdar to explore the feasibility of liquid green hydrogen exports from Abu Dhabi to Europe by 2030. On announcing the MOU in late January, the German truck maker also flagged its plans to deploy a trial fleet of Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks in mid-2024. Daimler’s tie up with Masdar aligns with a growing view in the transport sector that hydrogen fuel cells could win out over battery-electric engines in the post-diesel heavy-duty truck market. This argument is based on the perceived advantages of hydrogen, especially in the long-
Also in this section
2 December 2025
Oil major cites deteriorating demand and a planning debacle as it abandons one of UK’s largest blue hydrogen projects
1 December 2025
Project at Emden in northwest Germany due online in 2027, but wider ramp-up of clean hydrogen sector in Germany will require overhaul of government policy, company warns
25 November 2025
The northwest African country’s vision of integrating green power, molecules and steel is alive and kicking, and serves as a reminder of hydrogen’s transformative potential
19 November 2025
The creation of ‘lead markets’ to generate hydrogen demand in the EU has potential, but implementation would pose complex challenges for producers and industrial offtakers
