Europe’s Hydrogen Highway Shifts Into High Gear

Hy24, REFIRE, and Toyota push hydrogen freight forward as Stellantis steps back

10 Nov 2025

Europe’s hydrogen ambitions are shifting gears. A flurry of alliances and strategic pivots is reshaping the continent’s race toward zero-emission transport.

The latest push came from Hy24, a hydrogen-focused investment platform, which has joined forces with China’s REFIRE, a specialist in fuel-cell systems. Together they plan up to €2 billion of projects to accelerate hydrogen-powered mobility, focusing on heavy-duty transport such as trucks and buses. The tie-up combines Hy24’s capital with REFIRE’s engineering expertise, an emblem of growing confidence in hydrogen’s commercial prospects.

Not everyone is pressing ahead. Stellantis startled the market by scrapping its hydrogen van programme, blaming high costs and limited refuelling infrastructure. The move rippled through Europe’s supply chains but was seen by analysts as pragmatic, not defeatist. The firm’s shift reflects a broader consensus that hydrogen’s short-term potential lies in freight and logistics rather than passenger vehicles.

Toyota is testing that theory. Over the summer it expanded truck trials in Belgium, France and Germany, deploying 40-tonne fuel-cell lorries within its logistics operations. “We’re entering a phase of practical deployment,” said Toyota Motor Europe’s logistics chief, who added that performance data from these trials will shape future expansion.

Governments, meanwhile, continue to shower hydrogen with incentives as part of Europe’s decarbonisation drive. Refuelling networks remain patchy, but investment is gathering pace and industrial partners are no longer waiting for perfection before building fleets.

If these ventures succeed, Europe could soon move from prototypes to production, positioning itself as a hub for hydrogen innovation. The clean-energy map of the continent is being redrawn, one truck at a time.