The truck, branded as ‘Paul Hydrogen Power’ (PH2P), is built on a 16-tonne Mercedes-Benz ‘Atego’ glider chassis and is powered by the ‘Voith Electrical Drive System’ (VEDS), which provides 310 kW of continuous power and 410 kW of peak power.

Representing an approximate investment of USD600m, the new facility will be developed along “vertical production” principles a la Tesla, meaning that battery and vehicle assembly will take place at the same location.

Toyota Tsusho Nexty Electronics Europe GmbH will supply Toyota’s proprietary fuel cell to Pepper Motion, including auxiliary components.

Pepper Motion will take over 'BAX' – a cab-chassis platform powered by a BPW e-axle – shouldering the responsibility for assembly, marketing, and aftersales.

The German retrofit firm said that the federal government’s funding programmes for commercial electric vehicles, which were launched in 2021 and provide money for retrofitting diesel vehicles, have not made an appreciable impact on customer choices.

Impact will manufacture complete battery systems based on a design specified by pepper motion for its electric buses and trucks.

Sono Motors has agreed to supply a customised version of the ‘Solar Bus Kit’ to pepper motion, who will integrate it with a Mercedes Citaro C1 bus which has been retrofitted with pepper motion’s e-powertrain.

Škoda customers will have the option to convert their diesel buses to electric, using pepper motion’s electric powertrain ‘etrofit’ kit specifically designed for buses.

The retrofit firm will be offering customers the option to electrify used models of the Actros MP5 range – launched in 2019 as an 18-tonne 4x2 tractor unit – and it will also be producing up to 2,500 units by 2030.

The German retrofit company will install driveblocks' autonomous technology in an electric truck which will begin pilot testing in the summer of 2023.

The two companies plan to sell around 5,000 retrofitted trucks and buses in France by 2030, supported by over EUR1.5m raised earlier in the year by REV Mobilities.

The company, founded in 2018, aims to create a market for the electrification of vehicles, including vans, buses, and trucks, in France.