The Volvo Group and Daimler Truck have signed binding agreement to develop and produce fuel-cell systems for use in heavy-duty trucks.

The Volvo Group will acquire 50 per cent of the partnership interests in Daimler Truck Fuel Cell for approximately €0.6bn on a cash and debt-free basis.

“For us at Daimler Truck AG and our intended partner, the Volvo Group, the hydrogen-based fuel-cell is a key technology for enabling CO2-neutral transportation in the future. We are both fully committed to the Paris Climate Agreement for decarbonising road transport and other areas, and to building a prosperous jointly held company that will deliver large volumes of fuel-cell systems,” said Martin Daum, chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck AG and Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG.

In addition to commercial transport, there are also other areas of application for this type of fuel-cell system. The joint venture will develop a system with several power stages, including a twin system with 300kW continuous power for heavy-duty long-haul trucks. Based on the demanding conditions in heavy-duty truck applications, the joint venture’s products are also ideally suited for other use cases such as stationary power generation.

In 2020, Rolls-Royce plc and Daimler Truck signed an agreement to cooperate on stationary fuel-cell generators for the CO2-neutral emergency power supply of critical facilities such as datacentres. The intention is to offer emission-free alternatives to diesel engines, which are currently applied in generators for emergency use. A final cooperation agreement is expected to be signed by the end of the year.

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