Overview

• Stellantis and Daimler Truck have exited or postponed hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle projects, with Daimler deferring series truck production from 2027 to the early 2030s.
• BMW is now the only major automaker still backing hydrogen cars, targeting limited series production beginning in 2028.
• Hydrogen vehicles account for just 0.004% of Germany’s nearly 50 million passenger cars, and about 100 refuelling stations remain—several of which have been dismantled.
• Experts cite energy-intensive conversion processes, high system and fuel costs, and weak infrastructure as reasons fuel-cell vehicles lag behind battery-electric models.
• Europe’s mobility strategy is turning toward battery-electric vehicles, while China and the United States continue to invest in hydrogen primarily for industrial decarbonisation such as steelmaking and powering data centres.