Hydrogen Trucks Are Ready—Can Europe Build the Refueling Network?

Hydrogen trucks’ fuel cell is ready. Europe’s pumps aren’t

Cellcentric says its latest fuel cell system is ready for heavy-duty trucks, but the company is holding back on large-scale production until Europe develops the stations and fuel prices needed to support fleet operations.

The joint venture between Daimler Truck and Volvo Group is producing fuel cell systems at a pilot facility in Esslingen, Germany. Its next-generation BZA375 system is designed to fit in the engine bay of a conventional 13-liter diesel truck. However, production at a much larger planned facility in nearby Weilheim will depend on how quickly hydrogen infrastructure and market demand develop.

“You cannot just put a product out there and expect it to scale,” Nicholas Loughlan, cellcentric’s chief technology officer, said during a media visit to the company’s headquarters near Stuttgart. “You need a whole ecosystem and infrastructure and a whole framework for it to work.”

A more powerful single system

Cellcentric’s current BZA150 system uses two 150-kilowatt fuel cell units to power a fully loaded 40-metric-ton truck. The company stopped short of putting that system into full series production and instead accelerated development of the BZA375, Loughlan said.

Unveiled in April 2026, the BZA375 produces up to 375 kilowatts of continuous net power, or more than 500 horsepower. It weighs less than 500 kilograms, according to cellcentric, and is rated to use less than 6 kilograms of hydrogen per 100 kilometers in a fully loaded 40-ton truck.

Cellcentric estimates the system’s service life at about 25,000 hours. It also says the BZA375 uses 20% less hydrogen than the twin-unit BZA150 arrangement.

The system is intended for European trucks such as the Mercedes-Benz Actros and Volvo FH, as well as North American models including the Volvo VNL and Freightliner Cascadia. Cellcentric says the BZA375 has been developed with U.S. and Canadian codes and standards in mind, although it is taking a cautious approach to the North American market because demand for zero-emission trucking there remains limited.

Esslingen is operating; Weilheim is waiting

Cellcentric’s Esslingen pilot plant, about 30 kilometers from its headquarters, has handled the fuel cell production process under one roof since June 2024. The facility is building BZA150 systems for customer fleets and is expected to move into increased sample production of the BZA375. Series production of the newer system is planned around the turn of the decade.

The next stage would be a large manufacturing facility in Weilheim an der Teck. Cellcentric holds an option through the end of 2029 on 16 hectares, or about 40 acres, at the Rosenloh industrial park. Loughlan confirmed that the company paid more than €15 million, approximately $16.8 million, to reserve the land.

That payment does not mean construction is scheduled. Cellcentric has not set a specific order total or date that would automatically trigger the project.

Instead, the company will assess how much production can be expanded at Esslingen and how quickly demand builds. Loughlan said a new plant would take three to four years to complete once a decision is made.

“There’s not a specific timing and also not a specific number for us,” he said. “It’s more a how do we judge market dynamic.”

Truck stations are the immediate constraint

For fleets, the most significant barrier is not only the truck or its fuel cell. It is access to hydrogen stations capable of serving heavy-duty vehicles and providing fuel at a workable price.

Cellcentric says it will not move ahead with the Weilheim plant until Europe has truck-sized hydrogen stations and hydrogen prices fall to about €6 per kilogram. Loughlan said current prices are substantially higher.

In January, H2 Mobility began selling hydrogen to customers of truck rental company hylane for about €8 per kilogram, net, at selected German stations. The companies said that price was already below prevailing market levels.

Europe’s existing hydrogen network is not designed primarily for long-haul trucks. Daimler Truck CEO Karin Rådström said there are 187 hydrogen stations in Europe, but most operate at 350 bar and mainly serve passenger cars. Heavy-duty trucks typically require more than 10 kilograms of hydrogen at 700 bar, or an alternative such as liquid hydrogen.

Under the European Union’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, hydrogen stations of at least 1 metric ton per day with 700-bar dispensing capacity must be installed every 200 kilometers along the core TEN-T road network, as well as in urban nodes, by the end of 2030. Cellcentric’s plans call for heavy-duty stations that can eventually scale to 4 metric tons per day.

Infrastructure and cost must grow together

Cellcentric’s position is that truck production, station construction and fuel supply must expand together. Germany has used public funding to link hydrogen station development with truck deployments in an effort to address the industry’s “chicken and egg” problem.

A recent German funding call offered €220 million, or about $247 million. Applicants requested support for more than 70 high-capacity stations and 800 heavy-duty trucks, according to the alliance involved in the program.

Volume will also determine whether fuel cell trucks can compete economically. Loughlan said cellcentric’s costs will remain too high without production in the tens of thousands of systems per year, particularly during the early phase when government support is likely to be necessary.

Toyota, which signed a binding agreement in July to become an equal one-third owner of cellcentric, is expected to contribute experience from industrializing fuel cells for passenger vehicles such as the Mirai.

For truck operators, the technology offers another zero-emission option for long-distance and energy-intensive work. Battery-electric trucks will remain part of the market, but cellcentric argues that hydrogen could reduce pressure on electric grids at locations where many heavy trucks would otherwise need to charge.

Whether that potential becomes a practical fleet option will depend on the pieces outside the fuel cell itself: reliable truck-compatible stations, hydrogen priced for commercial operations and enough vehicle volume to bring manufacturing costs down. Until those conditions improve, the BZA375 may be ready for the road while the factory and fueling network needed to support it remain on hold.