Japan's Toyota Motor (TYO: 7203) and seven other major automotive and energy companies said they will cooperate to promote the use of hydrogen-powered heavy trucks in Europe, Jiji Press reported on September 16.

The tie-up brings together vehicle manufacturers, component suppliers and fuel producers in an attempt to tackle the twin obstacles that have held back hydrogen road freight in Europe: the shortage of affordable vehicles and the near-absence of refuelling infrastructure along the continent's main logistics corridors.

The companies plan to work jointly across areas ranging from truck development and manufacturing to hydrogen supply and the build-out of refuelling stations.

Germany is the first target market, with the partners aiming for a full-scale rollout of the trucks there by 2030. The business model is intended to be extended to other European countries at a later stage.

Alongside Toyota, the group includes Germany's Daimler Truck, Sweden's Volvo Group, German parts maker Robert Bosch and French energy company TotalEnergies.

The plan was unveiled at the IAA Transportation 2026 show in Hanover, one of the largest commercial vehicle exhibitions in the world.

Heavy long-haul trucking has proved one of the hardest segments of road transport to decarbonise, with battery-electric models facing weight and charging-time constraints on longer routes. Hydrogen fuel cells have been presented as an alternative, though high vehicle costs and thin refuelling networks have limited take-up so far.

Toyota has been among the most persistent backers of fuel cell technology, having sold hydrogen passenger cars and supplied fuel cell systems to other manufacturers, including for use in buses and trucks.