Delray Beach – September 28, 2026 -- The global hydrogen bus and truck market is projected to grow from $3.83 billion in 2026 to $8.95 billion by 2035, a 9.9% compound annual growth rate, according to MarketsandMarkets. Demand is concentrated in long-haul freight, high-utilization transit fleets and mining operations where battery-electric charging downtime remains commercially impractical.
India commits to 1,000 hydrogen commercial vehicles by 2030
India's National Green Hydrogen Mission is shifting from pilot programs to fleet-scale deployment, targeting more than 1,000 hydrogen trucks and buses in commercial use by 2030. The government plans refueling stations at roughly 200-kilometer intervals and is evaluating decentralized hydrogen production to improve fuel economics for medium and heavy commercial vehicles.
Toyota, Scania and IVECO advance third-generation fuel cell programs
Toyota and Scania announced in September 2026 that Toyota will supply third-generation, 300 kW fuel cell systems for 40 Scania heavy-duty vehicles starting in 2027. Toyota and IVECO are separately developing next-generation fuel cell trucks under the EU-funded EMPOWER project, while the new IVECO S eWay Fuel Cell targets more than 900 km of range and over 25,000 operating hours. Volvo is road-testing hydrogen combustion trucks in 2026, with commercial availability planned before 2030.
Daimler's NextGenH2 Truck delivers 1,000 km on liquid hydrogen
Daimler Truck's Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 Truck stores up to 85 kg of hydrogen, delivers more than 1,000 km of range, and refuels in 10 to 15 minutes. The company plans to place 100 units into customer operations starting at the end of 2026, targeting the fastest-growing above-500-mile range segment identified in the report.
200-400 kW powertrains dominate as bus fleets scale beyond pilots
The Clean Hydrogen Partnership's JIVE program deployed 142 fuel cell buses across nine locations before JIVE and JIVE 2 expanded to roughly 50 cities in 15 European countries. Daimler Buses' H2 Coach demonstrator pairs a 300 kW fuel cell system with a 320 kW continuous, 400 kW peak electric motor, reflecting the power requirements of larger, standardized fleet orders.
California's Advanced Clean Trucks rule drives North American fleet orders
States adopting California's Advanced Clean Trucks regulation recorded higher zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicle penetration than non-ACT states in Q1 2026. Toyota is converting this regulatory pull into deployment through an agreement with Hyroad to field 40 Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell trucks in Southern California, backed by Toyota-supplied hydrogen and dedicated refueling infrastructure. New Flyer is scaling its Xcelsior CHARGE FC bus platform under a 500-engine, 50 MW supply agreement with Ballard, offering up to 370 miles of range and 10- to 18-minute refueling.
Capital shifts from pilot vehicles to integrated hydrogen ecosystems
Investment activity from 2024 to 2026 includes $1.17 billion for Moeve's green hydrogen project in Spain, $105 million for India's Hygenco, and $49 million for India's hydrogen transport pilots in 2026. Earlier funding totaled $239 million for Daimler Truck's fuel cell program and $1.52 billion in EU public funding under the Hy2Move initiative in 2024, marking a shift toward combined fuel supply, refueling infrastructure and fleet operations.