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Hydrogen prototype from Daimler
Photo: FILIP SINGER / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
The commercial vehicle manufacturer Daimler Truck is teaming up with the French energy giant Totalenergies for the development and construction of hydrogen trucks (this has been the new name of the Total Group since May 2021).
To build a hydrogen infrastructure for heavy trucks, an agreement was signed on Wednesday, as the companies jointly announced.
When it comes to future technology, Daimler Truck and Total Energy want to play a leading role, according to their own admission.
Daimler Truck had already made it clear to rely on fuel cells and batteries in the transition from classic diesel and gasoline-powered combustion engines to new drives.
Daimler is one of the world's leading manufacturers of commercial vehicles and employs over 100,000 people.
Daimler's truck division is valued at around 40 billion euros
Totalenergies, on the other hand, is one of the world's largest energy groups. The two groups want to cooperate in the procurement of hydrogen and the development of hydrogen trucks. Totalenergies plans to "operate directly or indirectly up to 150 hydrogen filling stations in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France" by 2030. For its part, Daimler Truck also wants to deliver hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks to its customers in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France by 2025.
Daimler Truck is to be spun off from Daimler and put on the stock exchange by Christmas - an exact date has not yet been set.
In September, Daimler had already joined the battery cell alliance of Stellantis and Totalenergies to supply its electric cars, and in doing so had strengthened a Franco-German showcase project.
Daimler plans to distribute 65 percent of the truck shares to its current shareholders.
From the split, Daimler expects a higher valuation of the two then separate parts of the group, because investors do not appreciate conglomerates.
The possible market value of Daimler Truck is currently estimated by experts at up to 40 billion euros.
beb / dpa
