Toyota and Iveco have announced a collaboration under EMPOWER, an EU-funded Horizon Europe project developing new fuel cell electric vehicles for heavy-duty transport, with Toyota supplying its fuel cell systems and Iveco leading vehicle development and integration. Validation work is scheduled to start in the final quarter of 2026.

Iveco’s S-eWay Fuel Cell, powered by a Toyota system with 300 kW combined output, is the vehicle being developed. The design targets a range exceeding 900 km, more than 25,000 operating hours of durability and a lighter architecture, with battery capacity reduced to half that of the preceding design.

Toyota brings more than three decades of fuel cell development in mobility and industrial sectors; Iveco contributes experience from the H2Haul project, under which first-generation hydrogen fuel cell trucks were deployed and validated in real-world operations. The new S-eWay Fuel Cell represents what both companies describe as a significant step forward in durability, efficiency and scalability.

On-road trials are planned for the first half of 2027, with the programme intended to serve as a pilot for future commercial-scale deployment. For European long-haul hauliers, the vehicle’s combination of extended range, high durability and reduced battery dependency addresses the core operational objections that have slowed hydrogen fuel cell adoption in heavy-duty transport.

Source: Toyota