Iveco has delivered two hydrogen fuel cell trucks to BMW in Leipzig, Germany, as part of an EU-financed project.
The S-eWay Fuel Cell heavy-duty trucks will be used by BMW to transport parts between Nuremberg, Landsberg and Leipzig.
Two new refuelling stations, set up by TotalEnergies-Air Liquide joint venture TEAL Mobility in Leipzig and Homersdorf, will support the deployment. Both stations offer 350 and 700 bar fuelling.
Each truck offers up to 800km of range on one 70kg hydrogen fill and can be refuelled in under 20 minutes. The S-eWay trucks were developed under Iveco’s former joint venture (JV) with the now-bankrupt Nikola. Iveco took full ownership of the JV’s assets in 2023.
Michael Nikolaides, BMW’s Head of Production Network and Logistics, said, “For the first time, hydrogen-powered trucks will now be used in serial operation for German automobile production.”
It comes as part of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership-backed H2Haul project to deploy 16 heavy-duty hydrogen trucks into real-world commercial operations, supported by new refuelling stations with BMW, Iveco, GHL and TEAL.
“The delivery of our first two S-eWay Fuel Cell trucks to BMW represents a significant step forward in proving the practicality and scalability of hydrogen-powered long-haulage transport,” said Giandomenico Fioretti, Head of Alternative Business Development at Iveco.
However, the deployment comes amid a tough period for hydrogen trucking. In Q1 this year, Nikola has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Hyzon has been dissolved, and UK-based HVS has pivoted away from truck making to licensing to take it away from the “brink of collapse.”
Read more:Trio’s woes shine spotlight on stalling hydrogen fuel cell trucking sector
The hydrogen mobility game has proved to be a complex jigsaw with fleet operators facing uncertainty as to how zero-emissions trucks will fit into their business models, infrastructure players seeking assurances that their fuelling investments will pay off, and OEMs needing to reduce costs.
McKinsey previously reported for a fuel cell truck to reach cost parity with diesel by 2030, TCO would need to reduce by over 50% to $0.92/km – achievable by reducing hydrogen pump prices to $5.70/kg and up-front vehicle costs by 50% to $200,000.
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