Daimler Truck plans hydrogen lorry with 1,000-kilometre range

German manufacturer Daimler Truck is working on a fuel cell lorry powered by liquid hydrogen that will have a range of 1,000 kilometres on a full tank, the company announced on Monday.

Initial tests have already begun, with the aim of having trial fleets of hydrogen-powered trucks on the road by the middle of this decade. Daimler Truck is planning to put the vehicle in production in the second half of the decade.

The truck industry is under pressure from the EU to meet binding climate protection targets. New models are required to emit an average of 15% less carbon dioxide by 2025 and at least 30% by 2030, compared to 2019-20. Manufacturers will be subject to heavy fines in case these requirements are not met.

Daimler Truck, which bills itself as a global market leader for commercial vehicles and employs over 100,000 people, has already committed to transitioning from combustion engines towards cleaner technologies such as fuel cells and batteries.

By the end of the decade, the company aims to have emission-free vehicles making up 60% of sales.