Daimler Truck plans to invest several hundred million euros in hydrogen-powered trucks by the end of the decade as it pursues a dual strategy for decarbonising road transport, chief executive Karin Rådström says.

“We have invested a lot in battery-electric vehicles, but now we are taking the next step and putting a lot of money into making hydrogen a success,” Ms Rådström said.

The German truckmaker sees hydrogen-powered vehicles as part of the solution to cutting emissions from road transport in Europe, even as several carmakers are scaling back their hydrogen ambitions, according to Ms Rådström.

Hydrogen technology could make sense for some customers because it could offer greater payload capacity and range.

Refuelling is also considerably faster than fully charging a battery, while the expansion of electricity infrastructure will have limits, she said.

“There are clear use cases where our customers really need the payload and the range,” Ms Rådström said, adding that these represented a relatively small percentage of cases.

In many situations, both technologies could make sense, with the choice depending on factors including the often different prices of hydrogen and electricity in individual countries and the availability of suitable infrastructure, she said.

“We do not want to make the same mistake that was made in electric mobility,” Ms Rådström said. “That is why we are trying to build partnerships at a very early stage and make sure the entire ecosystem develops.”

Daimler Truck said last week it was working with companies from the transport, energy and industrial sectors to develop a hydrogen ecosystem.

It is due to provide details at a trade fair in Hanover next week.

Daimler Truck has offered battery-electric trucks for some time, but they still account for a small share of total sales.

After testing prototypes, the company plans to put a small series of 100 hydrogen-powered vehicles into customer use from the end of this year.

(dpa/NAN)