Toyota and IVECO have partnered under the EU-funded EMPOWER project to develop next-generation hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles for heavy-duty transport. The collaboration is part of the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme focused on zero-emission freight mobility.
Under the partnership, Toyota will provide its advanced fuel cell system, while IVECO will lead vehicle development, integration and validation. The collaboration combines Toyota’s more than three decades of fuel cell technology experience with IVECO’s experience in hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles.
The new IVECO S-eWay Fuel Cell will use Toyota fuel cell systems with a combined output of 300 kW. It is designed to deliver a driving range of more than 900 km and durability of over 25,000 operating hours.
Compared with IVECO’s earlier generation of hydrogen fuel cell trucks developed under the H2Haul project, the new model has a reduced vehicle weight and a simpler architecture. Its battery capacity has also been cut to half of the previous generation through improved energy management.
Validation and testing are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, while on-road trials are planned for the first half of 2027. The project is expected to serve as a pilot for future large-scale deployment of hydrogen-powered long-haul and heavy-duty trucks.
