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Daimler Truck AG CEO Karin Rådström hopped on LinkedIn today and dropped some absolutely wild pro-hydrogen talking points, using words like “emotional” and “inspiring” while making some pretty heady claims about the viability and economics of hydrogen. The rant is doubly embarrassing for another reason: the company’s hydrogen trucks are more than 100 million miles behind Volvo’s electric semis.

Earlier this month, Daimler Truck AG issued a press release entitled, “Five and a Half Times Around the World: Daimler Truck Fuel Cell Trucks Successfully Complete More Than 225,000 km (~139,000 miles) in Real-World Customer Operations.” Don’t bother looking for it on Electrek, though. I didn’t run it. And I didn’t run it because, frankly, a fleet of over-the-road semi trucks managing to cover a little over half the number of miles that David Blenkle put on his single Ford Mustang Mach-E isn’t particularly impressive.

In the meantime, Daimler competitors like Volvo, Renault, and even tiny Motiv are racking up millions and millions of all-electric miles and MAN Truck CEO Alexander Vlaskamp is saying that it’s impossible for hydrogen to compete with batteries. Heck, even Daimler’s own eActros BEV semi trucks are putting up better numbers than those hydrogen deals.

So, why then is Rådström pouring on the hydrogen love over on LinkedIn?

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For some reason – posts about hydrogen always stir up emotions. I think hydrogen (not “instead of” but “in parallel to” electric) plays a role in the decarbonization of heavy duty transport in Europe for three reasons:

  1. If we would go “electric only” we need to get the electric grid to a level where we can build enough charging stations for the 6 million trucks in Europe. It will take many years and be incredibly expensive. A hydrogen infrastructure in parallel will be less expensive and you don’t need a grid connection to build it, putting 2000 H2 stations in Europe is relatively easy.
  2. Europe will rely on import of energy, and it could be transported into Europe from North Africa and Middle East as liquid hydrogen. Better to use that directly as fuel than to make electricity out of it.
  3. Some use cases of our customers are better suited for fuel cells than electric trucks – the fuel cell truck will allow higher payload and longer ranges.

At European Hydrogen Week, I saw firsthand the energy and ambition behind Europe’s net-zero goals. It’s inspiring—but also a wake-up call. We’re not moving fast enough.

What we need:

  • Large-scale hydrogen production and transport to Europe
  • A robust refueling network that goes beyond AFIR
  • And real political support to make it happen – we need smart, efficient regulation that clears the path instead of adding hurdles.

To show what’s possible, we brought our Mercedes-Benz GenH2 to Brussels. From the end of 2026, we’ll deploy a small series of 100 fuel cell trucks to customers.

Let’s build the infrastructure, the momentum, and the partnerships to make zero-emission transport a reality. 🚛 and let’s try to avoid some of the mistakes that we see now while scaling up electric. And let’s stop the debate about “either or”. We need both.

KARIN RÅDSTRÖM

Commenters were quick to point out that Daimler recently received €226M in grants from German federal and state governments to build 100 fuel cell trucks – but, while Daimler for sure doesn’t want to give back the money, it’s also pretty difficult to believe that Rådström’s pro-hydrogen posturing is sincere.

Especially since most of it seems like nonsense.

We’re not doing any of that


Daimler CEO at European Hydrogen Week; via LinkedIn.

At the risk of sounding “emotional,” Rådström’s claims that building a hydrogen infrastructure in parallel will be less expensive than building an electrical infrastructure, and that “you don’t need a grid connection to build it,” are objectively false.

Further, if her claim that “putting 2,000 H2 stations in Europe is relatively easy” isn’t outright laughable, it’s worth noting that Europe had just 265 hydrogen filling stations in operation in 2024 (and only 40% of those, or about 100, were capable of serving HD trucks). At the same time, the IEA reported that there are nearly five million public charging ports already in service on the continent.

Next, the claim that, “Europe will rely on import of energy, and it could be transported into Europe from North Africa and Middle East as liquid hydrogen” (emphasis mine), is similarly dubious – especially when faced with the fact that, in 2023, wind and solar already supplied about 27–30% of EU electricity.

I will agree, however, with one of Rådström’s claims. She notes that, “some use cases of our customers are better suited for fuel cells than electric trucks – the fuel cell truck will allow higher payload and longer ranges.” That’s debatable, but widely accepted as true … for now. Daimler’s own research into lighter, more energy-dense, and lower-cost solid-state battery technology, however, may mean that it won’t be true for long, however.

Unless, of course, Mercedes’ solid-state batteries don’t work (and she would know more about that than I would, as a mere blogger).

Electrek’s Take


Mahle CEO: "We will fail if we don't use blue hydrogen"
Via Mahle.

As you can imagine, Karin Rådström post generated quite a few comments at the Electrek watercooler. “Insane to claim that building hydrogen stations would be cheaper than building chargers,” said one fellow writer. “I’m fine with hydrogen for long haul heavy duty, but lying to get us there is idiotic.”

Another comment I liked said, “(Rådström) says that chargers need to be on the grid – you already have a grid, and it’s everywhere!”

At the end of the day, I have to echo the words of one of Mercedes’ storied engineering partners and OEM suppliers, Mahle, whose Chairman, Arnd Franz, who that building out a hydrogen infrastructure won’t be possible without “blue” H made from fossil fuels as recently as last April, and maybe that’s what this is all about: fossil fuel vehicles are where Daimler makes its biggest profits (for now), and muddying the waters and playing up this idea that we’re in some sort of “messy middle” transition makes it just easy enough for a reluctant fleet manager to say, “maybe next time” when it comes to EVs.

We, and the planet, will suffer for such cowardice – but maybe that’s too much malicious intent to ascribe to Ms. Rådström. Maybe this is just a simple “Hanlon’s razor” scenario and there’s nothing much else to read into it.

Let us know what you think of Rådström’s pro-hydrogen comments, and whether or not Daimler’s shareholders should be concerned about the quality of the research behind their CEO’s public posts, in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Karin Rådström, via LinkedIn.


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Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss first off-road adventure

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Chevy Silverado EV Trail Boss first off-road adventure

Chevy flew us out to San Diego and hosted us for a quick adventure to the mountains east of the city to show off the new Chevy Silverado Trail Boss EV. Was this the new boss of the trails or just some expensive inside and outside trim updates? As usual, the answer lies in between. Let’s take a look…

Exterior

Chevy’s Silverado EVs have a distictive look from the ICE varieties and that contiues with the new Trail Boss trim. Most notable is the smaller grill, hiding the large Frunk and triangular blades on the bed, both of which make the aero on the EV version better.

The trail boss extends the rugged looks on the outside with a 2-inch lift, and 35-inch all terrain tires. Somehow however, Chevy rates the same 410 miles extended/478 miles Max range as the unlefted, smaller tire LT. There is a slightly reduced 625/725 horsepower over the 645/760 horsepower LT but higher torque which jibes with the bigger tires and the off roading motif.

Standard four-wheel steer and Sidewinder diagonal steering give it the ability steer around tight corners and drive diagonally like its GMC Hummer and Sierra Crabwalking brethren.

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Interior

The inside of the Trail Boss is distinctly sport/rugged exclusive (any color as long as it is) Black and Artemis interior with Red accent stitching reminiscent of the Chevy Blazer EV SS. Like other Silverado EVs, there’s a midgate that allows lots of expandibility options.

The drive

There’s a lot to love about the drive. I’m always amazed how well this huge GM EVs handle driving around town. I got to trailer a 10,000lb Polaris for 20 minutes and almost forgot it was there (which ironically is probably its biggest safety hazard). Unfortunately we weren’t on any Supercruise approved roads but I’ve taken the Sierra EV out on long trips and it is one of, if not the best Super Cruise form factors available.

Off roading was a little tame for my tastes – perhaps I’ve been spoiled by Rivian adventures. We hit some dirt roads/trails in a very slow a deliberate manner. With the huge, heavy battery, long wheelbase and gargantuan footprint, this isn’t as agile through the trails as I’d hoped. However that rear steering did help turning radius quite a bit and it chomed up everything we threw at it, especially in Off-road mode. I think the Silverado has a lot more to offer than what we got to see on this trip in terms of off roading. In the breif moments I was able to air this thing out, on road and off, it never dissapointed.

Charging

Charging for the Trail Boss is almost completely like the other Silverado EVs which means very fast CCS (no native NACS yet) charging on a huge battery. GM claims 100 miles in 10 minutes. On the Max battery, that will be at 350kW, 300kW on the extended battery. I have to give Chevy props however for making charging part of this adventure. We stopped at a Tesla Supercharger station, whipped out or NACS adapters and let it fly. At over 86% state of charge, we still got over 120kW of charging speed which is only slightly less impressive when you consider this is sort of like 2x100kWh batteries charging at 60kW/ea.

Electrek’s take

GM’s monster 205kWh hour battery is still the only game in town for those who want to tow really long distances or get huge range out of a monumentally inefficient full-sized pickup design. For towing, nothing will take you further between charges, Silverado/Sierra EVs are the distance champs.

The Silverado EV Trail Boss though takes that off road in a meaningful way with the lift, bigger tires and off road modes, perhaps not as seriously as the Hummer EV but at a much more palatable starting price of $72,000.

Also this is the biggest mobile battery in town with its 10kW output which will go full bore for an amazing 20 hours on a charge. That means you can run your house/campsite/worksite/etc for much longer and at higher power than anyone else.

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Tesla launches Model Y Performance in the US for $57,500

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Tesla launches Model Y Performance in the US for ,500

Tesla has officially launched and started taking orders for the updated Model Y Performance in the US, starting at $57,500 before incentives.

In January, Tesla began rolling out the Model Y design refresh, but as it typically does, it didn’t launch the top performance version immediately.

We are already aware of the new version, as it was launched in Europe a month ago, but Tesla is launching it in the US today.

The main thing we didn’t know about the Model Y Performance in the US is the price. It is now confirmed to start $57,490 before incentive:

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We also didn’t know the EPA estimated range, which is now confirmed to be 308 miles (496 km).

The Performance version can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds.

In terms of design, the new version also comes with slight changes to the front and back designs:

It features the slick 21″ Arachnid wheels, which look fantastic.

As usual, the performance version includes an improved suspension with adaptive damping.

The Model Y Performance also features more high-density battery cells, which enable faster charging, as Tesla previously announced when introducing the Model Y Performance in Europe.

Inside, the most significant change is in the seats, which now feature bigger side cushions and powered thigh cushion extenders for extra comfort.

Electrek’s Take

It looks like Tesla timed the release just before the end of the tax credit. Literally, hours before.

As we previously reported, the IRS has allowed individuals to take delivery after the September 30th deadline, provided they have a binding order with a deposit paid before the deadline.

It appears that Tesla is encouraging people to secure their orders tonight before the limit is reached to take advantage of the federal tax credit.

Sales-wise, it is actually a pretty smart approach.

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The world’s first carbon border tax will soon go live — shaking up global trade

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The world's first carbon border tax will soon go live — shaking up global trade

A worker walks past molten steel at a steel factory in Huai’an, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on July 22, 2025.

– | Afp | Getty Images

The European Union is less than three months away from launching its carbon levy — the world’s first large-scale border tax on carbon-intensive goods.

The forthcoming step, which has the potential to completely transform global trade, comes as part of the bloc’s efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions from heavy industries and promote cleaner production processes across the globe.

Starting from Jan. 1 next year, the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will impose a cost on goods such as steel, fertilizers, cement, aluminum and hydrogen imported from outside the 27-nation bloc.

Under the terms of the policy, importers bringing these goods into the EU will be required to purchase CBAM certificates to cover their associated emissions. The cost of these certificates is expected to be the same as the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) market price.

Vocal opposition

Not everyone is thrilled about the EU’s upcoming carbon border tax. The U.S., China, India and Brazil are among the countries that have raised concerns, with some threatening to take retaliatory measures and others warning the policy might hinder rather than help global climate efforts.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, did not respond to a request for comment when contacted by CNBC.

An aerial view of the Belchatow Power Station, Europe’s largest coal-fired power station near Belchatow, Poland on August 22, 2025. It is Poland’s largest power station with an installed capacity of 5,1 MW. The power plant is one of the candidates to be reconstructed as a future nuclear power site.

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Nicolas Endress, founder and CEO of ClimEase, a CBAM software solutions company, said the EU’s integrated carbon tax and tariff scheme will reshape global trade in ways most businesses haven’t yet grasped. Steel, cement, fertilizers and aluminum-related sectors are set to be first in the firing line.

It’s “no surprise” that the likes of the U.S., Brazil and India have raised concerns about the policy, Endress said, noting that countries without an emissions trading system (ETS) will be exposed to the border tax.

The EU says the CBAM is designed to put a “fair price” on carbon emitted during the production of emissions-intensive goods.

The tax is also designed to prevent what’s known as “carbon leakage,” which is when companies move production abroad to countries where less stringent climate polices are in place.

A test of climate leadership

The U.S., for its part, has warned that European climate rules could threaten the EU’s trade deal with the White House.

U.S. President Donald Trump struck a framework agreement with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in late July, establishing a tariff ceiling of 15% for most EU goods from the start of August.

This rate was significantly lower than the 30% previously threatened by the U.S. president, but above the 10% baseline the EU had been hoping for.

Speaking to the Financial Times last month, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that, in the absence of significant modifications, the EU’s CBAM — among other green regulatory policies — would create “huge legal risks” for U.S. companies selling fossil fuels into Europe.

Other countries exposed to the EU’s CBAM have criticized the plans, too. India has reportedly said it will retaliate against the carbon border taxes, saying high-income countries that are historically responsible for the climate crisis should do more to slash greenhouse gas emissions.

China, Brazil and Russia, meanwhile, have all raised concerns about the EU’s carbon border taxes, both at U.N. climate negotiations and with the World Trade Organization.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte hold a joint press statement in Brussels, Belgium on September 30, 2025.

Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images

The EU’s von der Leyen, in a 2019 manifesto to become European Commission president, said she intended to introduce a carbon border tax “to avoid carbon leakage” and help EU companies “compete on a level playing field.”

The policy was later introduced as part of the bloc’s effort to reduce emissions by at least 55% by the end of the decade.

Alex Mengden, policy analyst at Tax Foundation Europe, said EU officials have typically sought to downplay the potential for any retaliatory steps from major economies when the final stage of CBAM kicks in.

“It might show that we can only take so much climate leadership because it has real costs on us and if we are not in a global coalition, those costs fall back on ourselves instead of our trading partners, which is essentially the goal,” Mengden told CNBC by video call.

“Now, of course, it might still succeed,” Mengden said. “The success case for policymakers that devise the CBAM policy would be other countries adopting their own ETS systems,” he added.

Not just ‘a European experiment’

For some, the EU’s CBAM marks the first step of what is expected to become a global initiative to tackle the climate crisis.

“Within the next few years, carbon pricing won’t just be a European experiment — it will likely cover as much as 80% of global trade,” ClimEase’s Endress said.

“CBAM is what is making this happen by likely penalising countries without sturdy systems and rewarding those with EU-aligned ETS frameworks,” he added. “Countries that evolve with the change and build credible carbon pricing will defend their industries, while those that pull away will watch their exporters ultimately face the consequences.”

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