Toyota joins Daimler Truck and Volvo fuel cell venture

Cellcentric was established by Daimler Truck and Volvo Group in 2021 to develop and manufacture fuel cell systems for heavy-duty vehicles.

The companies have now signed a binding agreement for Toyota to join the venture as a third equal shareholder.

The partners said the agreement would combine Daimler Truck and Volvo’s expertise in commercial vehicles with Toyota’s more than three decades of fuel cell development to accelerate the commercialisation of hydrogen technology for heavy-duty transport.

The companies plan to jointly develop and manufacture unit cells – the core component of fuel cell systems – along with associated architecture and control systems.

They said the collaboration would also support the wider development of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

Toyota president and chief executive Koji Sato said the partnership would bring together complementary strengths in hydrogen technology.

“Cellcentric’s expertise in commercial vehicles, together with Toyota’s more than 30 years of fuel cell development, can combine their strengths to deliver one of the world’s leading fuel cell systems for heavy commercial vehicles,” he said.

Daimler Truck chief executive Karin Rådström said Toyota’s investment would help accelerate the development and scaling of hydrogen technology, which the manufacturer believes will complement battery-electric vehicles in decarbonising road freight.

Volvo Group president and chief executive Martin Lundstedt said bringing Toyota into the venture would help create the scale needed to speed up the adoption of hydrogen applications.

The announcement marks another significant investment in hydrogen fuel cell technology by major truck manufacturers, despite the industry’s growing focus on battery-electric vehicles.

Daimler Truck and Volvo continue to promote the development of hydrogen fuel cells as central to long-haul and other heavy-duty applications where battery-electric technology may be less practical.