Iveco and Toyota are to collaborate on a new fuel cell electric truck under EMPOWER, an EU-funded Horizon Europe project aimed at developing zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles.
Under the project, Toyota will supply the fuel cell system for Iveco’s next-generation fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), while Iveco will lead vehicle development, integration and validation.
The partnership builds on Iveco’s experience with hydrogen trucks through the H2Haul project and Toyota’s development of fuel cell technology for mobility and industrial applications.
The first vehicle to emerge from the programme will be the Iveco S-eWay Fuel Cell, which will use Toyota fuel cell systems with a combined output of 300kW.
Iveco said the new-generation vehicle will have a driving range of more than 900km and fuel cell durability of more than 25,000 operating hours. Vehicle weight has also been reduced compared with the previous generation, while battery capacity has been cut by half through changes to the vehicle’s energy management strategy.
The companies said the changes are intended to address some of the operational requirements of heavy-duty and long-haul transport, including range, durability and vehicle efficiency.
The new truck builds on operational experience gained from Iveco’s first-generation fuel cell vehicles deployed through H2Haul. The project will use that experience to further develop the technology and assess its performance in commercial transport conditions.
Testing and validation are due to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, with on-road trials scheduled to start during the first half of 2027.
Marco Liccardo, chief technology and digital officer at Iveco Group, said the project would allow the two companies to combine their respective expertise in fuel cells and vehicle engineering.
“Hydrogen is a key enabler of the future energy and mobility ecosystem. By joining forces with Toyota through EMPOWER, we are investing in a long-term vision for heavy-duty transport, one that combines sustainability, energy resilience and operational performance. Through EMPOWER, we are bringing together leading fuel cell expertise and advanced vehicle engineering to help unlock the full potential of hydrogen and drive the evolution of zero-emission heavy-duty transport. Together, we aim to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission solutions and contribute to redefining how goods move in the decades ahead,” he said.
Shinichi Yasui, executive vice president of R&D at Toyota Motor Europe, said hydrogen fuel cells could be suited to high-mileage heavy-duty applications where range and vehicle uptime are important considerations.
“The transition to zero-emission freight requires technologies that can meet the realities of commercial transport. For high-mileage, heavy-duty operations, hydrogen fuel cell technology offers strong potential by combining range, uptime and efficiency.
“By working together with IVECO, we aim to demonstrate how Toyota’s third-generation fuel cell system can help customers move towards zero-tailpipe emission logistics without compromising operational needs,” he said.
Iveco is also contributing a battery-electric truck demonstrator to the EMPOWER project. The manufacturer said the two projects form part of its wider approach to using different powertrain technologies for different transport applications.
The EMPOWER programme is intended to provide a platform for testing the fuel cell technology in real-world conditions and generating data to inform potential future commercial and industrial-scale deployment of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles.
