From Cars to Fleets: Hydrogen Hubs Redraw the Map

Fleet-focused hubs, credit trading, and scaling by H2 Mobility, HRS, and Bolzano are reshaping Europe’s hydrogen future

2 Oct 2025

Europe’s hydrogen market is entering a new phase as operators move from small car-focused stations to high-capacity hubs designed for fleets of buses, trucks and commercial vehicles. The trend is reshaping how the industry approaches scale, finance and long-term reliability.

In Germany, H2 Mobility last month introduced a quota trading service that avoids greenhouse gas emissions and sells them to obligated buyers. The initiative gives refuelling station operators a secondary source of income beyond fuel sales, reducing financial exposure and improving project viability.

Italy has also seen expansion. The city of Bolzano, home to one of Europe’s earliest hydrogen hubs, has doubled its capacity to serve a mix of vehicles, with added storage and faster refuelling speeds. The upgrade aims to ensure steady, high-volume use, something smaller car-only facilities have struggled to achieve.

French group Hydrogen Refueling Solutions is also consolidating its presence, having delivered 30 stations since 2021. That represents more than one-third of Europe’s new capacity in the period. Analysts say such concentration reflects a move towards vertically integrated providers that can build, operate and manage credit revenues, strengthening their position in bidding for public contracts.

“Scale and certainty are what matter now,” said one transport analyst. “Fleets need dependable service, and companies offering construction, operation and credit revenue in one package are setting the pace.”

For cities and logistics operators, the shift promises greater reliability of service. High-utilisation hubs improve the case for hydrogen in heavy transport, even as battery-electric models expand. Challenges remain, however, including limited uptake by private motorists, reliance on subsidies and uncertain price dynamics for hydrogen fuel.

Industry executives argue that concentrating on fleets provides the right foundation for future growth. The emphasis on large, strategically located depots signals a shift from demonstration projects to commercial-scale infrastructure, aimed at trucking corridors and urban networks.

The approach could help Europe advance its decarbonisation goals by anchoring hydrogen within core transport sectors, offering a pathway to wider adoption as the technology matures.