Bavaria subsidises hydrogen vans and the 8 euro per kilogram price

Public purchase programmes have been the main instrument for bringing hydrogen heavy vehicles into Europe. The state of Bavaria opened a programme that subsidises the purchase of hydrogen commercial vehicles by up to 300,000 euros per vehicle, with bands by category and applications open until 28 October 2026.

What is missing is the operating cost after purchase. According to H2 MOBILITY, in a statement of 18 November 2025, a kilogram of hydrogen will cost around 8 euros net from 1 January 2026 for hylane customers, and only at selected stations in Düsseldorf and the Rhine-Neckar region.

The subsidy covers the asset once; refuelling is repeated every day. A price negotiated on contracted volume in two German regions does not describe the cost on a national route, and it is the difference per kilogram, over the useful life, that defines whether the hydrogen lorry competes with diesel.

The price of hydrogen at the refuelling station over the contract decides the fleet's result, not the value of the subsidy at purchase.