Scania tests hydrogen trucks with Toyota fuel cell technology
Toyota and Scania are stepping up their hydrogen fuel cell partnership, with 40 Scania trucks set to be equipped with Toyota's current fuel cell system. The collaboration aims to explore real-world use cases for the technology.
The retrofitted trucks will be deployed with logistics companies under real-world conditions as part of Scania’s ‘Pilot Partner’ programme. According to the firm, the programme brings the company together with selected customers “to evaluate a wide range of sustainable transport technologies … under real operating conditions” – with hydrogen fuel cell technology one of several potential pathways being examined. The partners state they are primarily seeking insights into “technical performance, operational efficiency, and total cost of ownership”.
Toyota’s third-generation fuel cell system is expected to stand out with its compact design and 300 kW output. Launched in 2025, the company declared not only suitable for passenger cars but also for commercial vehicles, trains, ships, and stationary applications. Later that same year, Toyota initiated collaborations for truck applications with, among others, Sinotruk and the VDL Group. This year, Toyota also joined as an equal partner in the fuel cell joint venture Cellcentric, established by Daimler Trucks and the Volvo Group. Additionally, Toyota is involved in the newly formed alliance for the commercialisation of heavy-duty H2 trucks in Germany, which plans to unveil its strategy next week at the IAA Transportation.
All these activities demonstrate that Toyota sees significant potential for its technology in the truck market. The collaboration with Scania fits this picture. The first hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks from Scania equipped with Toyota technology are set to enter operation in the first quarter of 2027.
Hiroki Nakajima, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Corporation, comments: “We believe heavy-duty transport is key to building hydrogen demand and infrastructure. Furthermore, we believe hydrogen is the right solution for demanding heavy-duty applications, where long range, high utilisation and operational efficiency are essential. By bringing Toyota’s third-generation fuel cell system into Scania customers’ logistics operations, together we are taking an important step towards enabling hydrogen-powered mobility to play a larger role across Europe’s heavy-duty transport industry.”
“We are pleased to partner with Toyota to explore how fuel cell technology performs in demanding real-world transport operations,” responds Sara Forsberg, Chief Technology Officer at Scania. “Through our Pilot Partner programme, we work with selected customers to test new technologies in actual use cases, learn from their experience and develop our solutions further. This collaboration will give us valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges associated with hydrogen fuel cell technology in heavy-duty transport.”