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Will Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trucks Follow Car Storyline?
A decade ago, many people believed hydrogen fuel cells were the future, not battery-electric cars. The debates raged and it was common to have press releases, auto executive statements, and debates about the future of hydrogen-powered cars.
In the last decade or so, the market apparently has decided that hydrogen-powered cars do not make sense, and they can’t compete in the market as a result. Despite this situation, there are still plenty of discussions, trials, and vehicle development programs for hydrogen-powered trucks.
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Will Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trucks Follow Car Storyline?

Guy Youngs In the last decade or so, the market apparently has decided that hydrogen-powered cars do not make sense, and they can’t compete in the market as a result. Despite this situation, there are still plenty of discussions, trials, and vehicle development programs for hydrogen-powered trucks.
In theory, hydrogen can compete in the truck market, but in practice, it’s an entirely different matter. Battery technology keeps improving rapidly, and solutions for battery-electric trucks are becoming clear. If battery costs keep coming down — as expected — and proper charging hubs for heavy-duty electric vehicles get developed, battery-electric trucks seem set to win the day.
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Report Shows U.S. Falling Behind On EVs
The U.S. had a robust policy in place to promote the adoption of electric cars, and it used all the tools conservatives say they like — carrots such as financial incentives instead of sticks such as mandates. But now, according to the IEA (International Energy Agency), USA is moving backwards while the rest of the world continues to move forward.
In its EV Global Outlook 2025 report, the IEA says that 20% of new cars sold worldwide in 2024 were electric, a definition that includes plug-in hybrids as well as battery-electric cars.
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GM Halts Hydrogen Fuel Cell Plant
In a move that signals a shift in strategy, General Motors (GM) has pressed pause on its highly anticipated hydrogen fuel cell manufacturing facility in Detroit, MI. First announced in September 2024, the $55 million factory was set to breathe new life into the old State Fairgrounds site and create roughly 300 skilled jobs in the process. Spanning nearly 292,500 square feet, the facility was expected to become a major player in GM’s push toward alternative fuels.
In May 2025, those plans were officially put on hold.
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BMW Testing EVs with All-Solid-State Batteries
The first BMW EVs powered by all-solid-state batteries are now on the road for testing. BMW used an i7 to test the “holy grail” of EV battery tech, promising longer driving range at a lower cost.
BMW and Solid Power have been working together since 2022 to advance the new EV battery tech. In December 2022, BMW revealed plans to license Solid Power’s tech for a new solid cell prototype line at its Cell Manufacturing Competence Center (CMCC) in Parsdorf, Germany.
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Changan Solid-State Battery Increases Range
According to CnEVPost, Chinese automaker Changan claims it has developed a solid-state battery that will allow electric cars to travel up to 1500 kilometers without needing to be recharged. That’s a massive 932 miles.
Changan says its batteries will be in production by the end of this year, with verification and calibration procedures taking place next year. By 2027, it expects production cars using its solid-state batteries to be on the road in China.
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CATL Next Generation Batteries Coming Soon
A few weeks ago, BYD announced new battery technology that allows electric cars to recharge in about 5 minutes. This month, at the annual Shanghai Auto Show, CATL fired back with fast charging news of its own. It claims its second generation Shenxing battery can add 520 kilometers (323 miles) of range in just five minutes of charging time. The BYD announcement claims its batteries can add 400 kilometers (250 miles) in 5 minutes using a Level 3 fast charger
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France, Germany Endorse Electric Trucks

Guy Youngs French Conseil d’Analyse Économique (CAE) and the German Council of Economic Experts (GCEE) finally weighed in on the EV vs. Hydrogen debate. And they didn’t fall for the hydrogen fantasy. Instead, they did what economists do best: they looked at the numbers, ran the models, and calmly declared that battery-electric trucks are not just viable—they’re the smart bet
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Europe Tesla (TSLA) Deliveries Down 43%
The official numbers from European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) are out, and they confirmed that Tesla deliveries have crashed by 43% in Europe so far this year.
Based on the main European auto markets already having reported vehicle registrations earlier this month, we already had a good idea of Tesla’s performance in the market, but now the ACEA has made it official.
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Magnesium Battery Offers Alternative To Lithium
Researchers at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, have developed a new electrolyte system for magnesium anodes, which they claim demonstrates a potential alternative to lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries through superior performance.
The team suggests halide-free Mg batteries surpass previous batteries in terms of safety, efficiency and stability. The aging effects of energy storage are also apparently mitigated with magnesium, which the team claimed would lead to a longer lifespan of the battery.
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