Akkodis and EKPO validate 400 kW fuel cell stack in live logistics truck

The two firms are integrating EKPO's NM20 fuel cell stack into a hydrogen truck for real-world heavy-duty validation with a logistics operator.

By Rowen Brooks Wed, 2 September 2026 AI level 2 of 5

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The stern of a large grey and red ship, partially covered in scaffolding, stands in a dry dock surrounded by cranes under a clear blue sky.

Akkodis, the digital engineering arm of the Adecco Group, and EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies have moved their hydrogen powertrain collaboration from the test bench into live freight operations. The project centres on EKPO's NM20 fuel cell stack, a 400 kW unit that the pair describe as EKPO's most powerful commercial product, integrated into a hydrogen-powered truck that will generate operational data during deployment with an unnamed logistics company.

Akkodis is responsible for the complete powertrain architecture, covering system design, high-voltage integration, thermal management, control software and vehicle commissioning. EKPO supplies the NM20 stack and its associated development expertise. The demonstration vehicle uses a single NM20 unit, yielding a system output of up to 360 kW and an electrical efficiency of up to 61 percent. EKPO says the stack is rated for more than 25,000 operating hours, a figure relevant to commercial fleet operators calculating total cost of ownership. Neither company disclosed the contractual terms of the logistics partnership, the duration of the validation programme, or any commercial volumes.

The technology case for heavy-duty hydrogen

Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) compete with battery-electric trucks on duty cycles where payload, range and refuelling time are binding constraints. For long-haul and high-utilisation freight, hydrogen proponents argue that the energy density of compressed gas and rapid refuelling outweigh the current cost penalty of green hydrogen relative to diesel or grid electricity. EKPO, a joint venture between automotive suppliers ElringKlinger and OPmobility, positions its stacks across road, rail, maritime and off-highway markets, which gives the NM20's real-world dataset commercial value beyond this single truck.

The partners note that the validation data could inform future integration across additional vehicle classes and stationary power generation. That breadth of claimed application is common in early-stage hydrogen hardware programmes, where developers seek to spread fixed engineering costs across multiple use cases. Dr Stefan Dwenger, managing director of EKPO, said the operational data "will make an important contribution to the industrialisation of hydrogen-powered powertrains", pointing to a path from demonstration to volume production that remains some years away.

Market and policy context

The heavy-duty hydrogen transport segment has attracted substantial European capital and regulatory support, but commercial deployment remains thin. The NM20 stack's development has received funding under the European IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) programme, a state-aid framework the EU uses to co-fund cross-border industrial projects in strategic technologies including hydrogen. That backing signals regulatory alignment but also reflects the gap that still exists between current economics and commercial viability without subsidy.

The EU's FuelEU Maritime and revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) create downstream demand signals for hydrogen fuels, while the European Hydrogen Bank's auction mechanism is beginning to set observable price levels for green hydrogen supply. For the heavy-goods-vehicle segment specifically, CO2 targets for trucks introduced under EU regulation create a compliance incentive for fleet operators to begin evaluating zero-emission alternatives ahead of the 2030 and 2035 step-downs.

Several well-capitalised competitors are pursuing similar heavy-duty fuel cell integration programmes, including Bosch, Ballard Power Systems and Hyzon, meaning the market for validated, high-power stacks is becoming more crowded. The Akkodis and EKPO partnership's next tangible milestone will be the publication of real-world operational data from the logistics deployment, which will allow fleet operators and investors to benchmark the NM20's performance against competing systems.