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Daimler Truck and Volvo Group formed Cellcentric via a joint venture in the spring of 2021. (Cellcentric gmbH & Co.)

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Hydrogen fuel cells are emerging as a viable alternative to diesel in many use cases, including longhaul applications that need more range than battery-electric vehicles offer. Cost remains a challenge, but manufacturers said they are working on efficiencies that will help lower prices.

“It not only needs to be technically viable, it needs to be commercially attractive,” Joachim Ladra, head of sales, marketing and communication for , said during a panel discussion at the 2025 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo. “Because, let’s be honest, as long as the truck with the diesel engine has better total cost of ownership than a fuel cell truck, the lion’s share of the market will go diesel.”

Ted Haladyna, director of product marketing for Ford Pro in North America, said fleets need a solution for high-energy and high-payload situations. “Five years ago, the world decided we’re going to go to electric vehicles,” he said during a panel discussion. “Now, several years later, we’re trying to figure out as an industry how we take a step back and focus on these interim steps.”

While speaking with Transport Topics, Haladyna said Ford plans to enter the hydrogen space in Classes 3-5 applications. “As the EV revolution happened, we saw a critical point where you can’t get enough power on board to leverage these,” he said.

Manufacturers don’t see fuel cells as competition for BEVs and believe it will take several different types of technology to meet the diverse applications within the trucking and logistics industries.

“The luxurious situation where diesel was the one-size-fits-all solution for everything from a small van to a heavy-duty truck is over,” Ladra said. “We have to have a very clear view on where strengths and weaknesses of these technologies are and then decide for the right technology for any given application.”

Saral Chauhan, senior asset leader for , said electrification of longhaul trucking is uneconomical due to lack of sufficient and competitive in-route public charging. “The cost of public charging dollar per kilowatt hour is two to three times what you spend as a fleet if you were doing depot charging,” he said.

Mixed Outlook for ZEVs

McKinsey’s survey of 200 U.S. trucking public and private fleets found that two-thirds were committed to decarbonization and over half have pilot projects under way. But fewer than 10% see a viable path for ZEVs at scale.

Nicholas Loughlan, chief technology officer for Cellcentric, said longhaul trucking is an efficiency game. “Hydrogen comes into play because of its power,” he said.

Tarek Abdel-Baset, chief hydrogen storage systems engineer for Forvia, said fuel cell technology continues to improve and has gotten better on every metric every year.

“One thing we’ve seen over the last 20 years is continuous improvement in the fuel cells,” he said.

Technical advancements and product refinements should help improve the total cost of ownership for fleets. Cellcentric, a joint venture between Daimler Truck and Volvo Group, is developing its next generation fuel cell, which was on display at ACT Expo. The fuel cell will be a single-system package with up to 375 kilowatts — more than 500 horsepower — and can cover 650 miles. Loughlin said it will use 20% less fuel, have a 40% reduction of waste heat and 40% more power density.

Currently, Daimler Truck and Volvo HD vehicles are powered by two Cellcentric BZA150 systems for 300 kW of continuous power. Because the next generation will be a single system rather than two fuel cells side by side, it will have 40% less complexity.

Hyundai Xcient Unveiled

Hyundai unveiled the hydrogen fuel cell electric tractor during the event. “It has been updated, tested and tailored specifically for the North American market. It is capable of more than 450 miles of range and can refuel in as little as 20 minutes,” Jim Park, senior vice president of hydrogen for Hyundai, said in a keynote address.

The new Xcient is powered by a 180-kW hydrogen fuel cell system, equipped with two 90-kW stacks and a 72-kilowatt-hour battery pack. Under optimal conditions, it delivers a driving range of a maximum 450 miles.

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Since launching the Xcient in Switzerland, Hyundai has accumulated more than 8 million miles, according to a company executive. (Hyundai Motor Co.)

The Xcient fuel cell is the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell truck, and Hyundai is currently the only truck manufacturer supplying Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell tractors in North America. Since launching the Xcient in Switzerland, Hyundai has accumulated more than 8 million miles, Park said.

During a keynote address, Jordan Choby, group vice president of powertrain for Toyota, announced the company’s plans to introduce hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric Class 8 heavy-duty trucks as part of an effort to reduce the number of diesel-powered tractor trailers servicing Toyota’s North America Parts Center California.

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Toyota's Jordan Choby cited scalability, size and output in touting his company's fuel cell technology. (TRC Cos.)

Toyota also debuted its next-generation fuel cell technology in North America, the Toyota Gen 3 FC system. Preliminary arrival in the U.S. is expected in or after 2027. “Our new system is designed to be even more modular for various applications, thanks to scalability, size and output,” Choby said.

Toyota Learns From Experience

Toyota is learning from its experience in the passenger vehicle market. “We are continuing to push the limits of this technology, taking advantage of its scalability to find new applications beyond passenger vehicles. This includes applications as a powertrain for Class 8 heavy-duty trucks and for stationary power, among others,” Choby said, adding that Toyota launched the light-duty Mirai passenger vehicle in 2014 and has more than 13,000 fuel cell vehicles in the market in North America.

Using hydrogen in heavy-duty trucking, including for parts and vehicle distribution, represents a significant opportunity for Toyota to reduce carbon emissions at the manufacturer and for others, Choby said. “We are investing in resources that we believe will lead to sustainable growth, both for our operations and the entire value chain in this still-evolving transportation sector,” he said.

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Honda's Next Generation Fuel Cell Module will have an output of 150 kilowatts, up from 80 in the current model. (Honda Motor Co.)

which is scheduled to begin production in 2027 and was on display during the event, will also feature efficiency improvements. It will have an output of 150 kW, up from 80 in the current model. Production costs will be cut in half, and it will have more than double the durability compared with the current model. Sho Akabori, principal engineer for Honda, told TT that Honda is seeking business partners for fuel cell-powered products and is in discussions with OEMs.

Honda’s Class 8 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck Concept was first unveiled at ACT Expo 2024 and was on display at this year’s event. Akabori said the truck has achieved a range of 500 miles and is going to be placed into Honda’s logistics network. “We are still discussing where,” he said, noting that one possibility is Michigan.

In addition to improvements in efficiency, Forvia’s Abdel-Baset said there have been numerous advancements in hydrogen that can give end users confidence in fuel cells’ safety. “Codes and standards have been evolving. There are all the SAE standards, ISO standards and, recently, the NHTSA regulation for vehicle safety has come out and been finalized,” he said. “The tanks are stronger than the steel in the car.”

Despite the promise hydrogen holds, the price of the molecule remains high, and demand exceeds supply. Loughlin said rising demand is triggering significant investment in production capacity. When that production comes on line, he believes the industry will achieve an equilibrium and costs will come down.

Investing in Infrastructure

Manufacturers are investing in fueling infrastructure as well. Toyota announced plans for a new hydrogen fueling station to be built on the NAPCC campus to support the new hydrogen trucks in the fleet. Choby added that Toyota plans to further invest and vertically integrate into the hydrogen ecosystem. Toyota has launched a project making hydrogen from biomass from poultry farms. “Through this pilot, Toyota is studying how to successfully create an emissions-free sustainable circular economy,” he said.

Until costs come down, and the total cost of ownership gap narrows, Cellcentric’s Ladra said regulatory support globally is key.

Erik Neandross, president of the clean transportation solutions group at TRC, the environmental consulting firm that organizes ACT Expo, said hydrogen is one of the alternative fuels that could benefit the most from strong federal support and research and development funding. “We’re hopeful progress can continue,” he said. “Clearly a high level of interest remains.”

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