BWM, Daimler, Bosch: Managing directors call for strengthening hydrogen mobility

"Hydrogen mobility is critical to Europe's climate goals, industrial competitiveness, and strategic resilience – and urgent action to expand infrastructure is needed." CEOs of global energy, automotive, and technology companies are addressing this position to the heads of state and government of the member states of the European Union. In a joint letter, the executives are calling for hydrogen mobility to be incorporated as an integral part of the European transport and industry strategy.

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Hydrogen mobility complements electromobility

These are the key points of the letter:

•Hydrogen mobility is a strategic imperative: As a complement to battery-electric vehicles, hydrogen technologies are crucial for a diversified, resilient, and cost-effective decarbonization of road transport. A diversified approach could save between €300 and €500 billion in infrastructure costs in Europe by 2050. Two mobility infrastructures would be more cost-effective for Europe than electrification alone.

•Hydrogen mobility is a driver for jobs and industrial growth: Europe's existing industrial strengths in automotive and advanced manufacturing can be leveraged to take a leadership position in hydrogen technology and create up to 500,000 jobs by 2030.

•Hydrogen mobility unlocks crucial synergies in the energy system: Hydrogen enables demand bundling, supports hard-to-decarbonise industries, and drastically reduces the waste of renewable energy.

Mobility companies and hydrogen technology united

The letter was signed by executives from more than 30 companies, including major corporations and smaller suppliers, that together cover the hydrogen mobility ecosystem. These include: Air Liquide, BMW, Daimler Truck, Hexagon Purus, Hyundai Motor, Robert Bosch, Solaris, Toyota Motor, and Volvo. "Hydrogen trucks are the perfect complement to battery-electric trucks – they offer long ranges, fast refueling, and a major opportunity for Europe. We are a leader in hydrogen technology, and we will remain so if we act now – across the entire value chain," says Karin Rådström, CEO of Daimler Truck.

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Despite the progress, the CEOs warn that hydrogen mobility in Europe will stagnate unless a more coordinated and pragmatic policy framework is created to support the rollout of the necessary infrastructure and achieve the scale required for the growth of the hydrogen mobility market. This requires integrating hydrogen mobility as a central component into strategic programs, such as the EU's Sustainable Mobility Investment Plan under the Clean Industrial Deal. Ongoing efforts to simplify EU regulations could also contribute to reducing the costs and complexity of building hydrogen mobility infrastructure.

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"Without a safe and efficient hydrogen infrastructure, consisting of storage and transport solutions, there can be no widespread hydrogen mobility. Our technology is already being used in Germany and throughout Europe and is key to expanding hydrogen mobility," says Morten Holum, President and CEO of Hexagon Purus.