8 July 2026
Germany accelerates hydrogen truck roll-out with oversubscribed funding call
Germany is taking a major step towards zero-emission heavy-duty transport with a €220 million funding programme for hydrogen refuelling stations and hydrogen-powered trucks. The call attracted 526 applications requesting €455 million in support - more than double the available budget - including 71 applications for refuelling stations and 455 for vehicle fleets. By funding infrastructure and vehicles together, the programme tackles the ‘chicken-and-egg’ challenge, ensuring new stations have sufficient demand while fleet operators gain reliable access to hydrogen. The strong oversubscription highlights growing market interest in hydrogen for heavy-duty logistics and is expected to support the development of a nationwide hydrogen refuelling network aligned with the EU's AFIR requirements.
A similar consortium funding scheme has been deployed earlier in the Netherlands, known as the SwiM programme. This program has been very successful in stimulating the development of new HRS and hydrogen powered vehicles.