The companies said Thursday their fuel cell joint venture,
cellcentric, is carrying out preparatory work at a facility in Esslingen,
Germany and that a decision on a location for large-scale series production
will be announced in 2022. Daimler Truck and Volvo said they plan to start with
customer tests of fuel-cell trucks in about three years and to launch
large-scale production by the end of the decade.
The companies called on European policymakers to add
incentives including taxing carbon and emissions trading to make up for the
fact that climate neutral trucks would be more expensive. They backed calls for
300 high-performance hydrogen refuelling stations for heavy-duty vehicles by
2025 and 1,000 stations by 2030.
European governments are seeking to lower emissions of
carbon dioxide across their economies under the 2015 Paris climate accords,
which aim to limit global warming and climate change. Carbon dioxide, which is
a product of internal combustion engines among other things, is the main
greenhouse gas blamed by scientists for climate change. Efforts to limit
emissions from passenger cars in Europe has focused on the introduction of
battery-powered cars. Daimler and Volvo, however, said that while batteries
will work for short-haul trucks, they see hydrogen fuel cells playing a role
for heavier loads and longer distances.
In a fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen combine to produce
electricity, heat and water. There are no carbon dioxide emissions or
smog-producing pollutants. Hydrogen can have advantages over batteries in terms
of weight and range but places to refuel are expensive to build and currently
few and far between.
The two companies said that they would remain competitors in
developing new truck models even as they cooperate on the fuel cells that would
power them.
Daimler Truck, maker of Freightliner and Western Star
brands, is slated to be spun off later this year from Stuttgart-based Daimler
AG, which manufactures Mercedes-Benz luxury cars. -AP
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