According to reports, the new joint venture will focus on the development of fuel cell systems for heavy-duty trucks. The developers also note that their technology should be “perfect” for use in stationary generators, which is why they plan to create a cleaner alternative to diesel generators. Another area of ​​activity will be the creation of a system capable of providing a power of 300 kW for long-distance trucks.

Despite the creation of the joint venture, it is noted that Daimler and Volvo will continue to be competitors in other areas, including in the direction of integrating fuel cells into their own cars. According to the available data, the first tests of the joint production of Daimler and Volvo are planned to begin “in about three years”, and its serial production will not begin in the first half of this decade. The joint venture should be completed in the first half of next year.

The alliance between Daimler and Volvo is, in a sense, an acknowledgment that hydrogen fuel cells have a place in the future, where technologies that do not emit harmful substances will play a major role. It is likely that automakers believe that electric vehicles will dominate the passenger car segment of the future, but that hydrogen fuel cells are more efficient for trucks and other purposes.