VANCOUVER, B.C./ STUTTGART, Germany — Ballard Power Systems will collaborate with the German automotive giant Mahle Group on the development and commercialization of zero-emission fuel cell systems for trucks, the two companies said Monday.

The long-term goal of the partnership is to manufacture complete fuel cell systems for the European, North American and Asian markets, they said.

During the first phase of the co-operation, Ballard will be primarily responsible for system design relating to the fuel cell stack, and Mahle will focus on thermal management, power electronics and packaging.

Mahle, founded in 1920, has been a series supplier for fuel cell vehicles for more than a decade. It has 160 production locations and 16 research and development centers around the globe. 

“Hydrogen and fuel cells are a cornerstone of CO2-neutral mobility, particularly with regard to road transport,” said Jorg Stratmann, chairman and CEO of Mahle.

“This collaboration brings together Mahle’s strength in the automotive Tier-1 value chain, and our vast expertise in the fuel cell periphery with Ballard’s industry leadership in PEM fuel cell technology and systems.”

Mahle’s commercial vehicle division supplies a broad range of products to OEMs, including power cells, valves and camshafts, engine cooling components, fuel and oil management systems, electronics and mechatronics.

Its components are present in half of all the vehicles on the world’s roads.

Ballard CEO Randy MacEwen expects the collaboration with Mahle to result in the development and commercialization of “winning” fuel cell engines.

“Together with Ballard’s experience powering vehicles for over 50 million kilometers, our unparalleled proven product durability, and our intellectual property and know-how around high-power density fuel cell stacks, we are very confident in our ability to effectively address the $100 billion annual total addressable market for commercial truck engines.”