Close menu




November 18th, 2021 | 11:39 CET

Trucks and hydrogen as a billion-dollar business: Daimler, Clean Logistics, Nikola

  • Hydrogen
Photo credits: pixabay.com

Hydrogen was the hot topic last fall: shares like NEL kept climbing. But then came the disillusionment: Alongside Tesla and BYD, more and more traditional carmakers also switched to electric cars with batteries. Hydrogen shares collapsed. But this does not mean that the technology is out of the picture. The energy carrier remains a beacon of hope for ships, trucks and even aircraft. Just recently, a German company even put a hydrogen bus on the road. We explain what hydrogen means for commercial vehicles and how investors can profit, using three shares as examples.

time to read: 4 minutes | Author: Nico Popp
ISIN: DAIMLER AG NA O.N. | DE0007100000 , Clean Logistics SE | DE000A1YDAZ7 , NIKOLA CORP. | US6541101050

Table of contents:


    Daimler and the trucks: This story is not over yet

    Daimler is a group with various divisions. In addition to the popular passenger cars, which are now also available electrically in all model series, Daimler also has a truck division. The Trucks & Buses division currently accounts for just over 20% of the Group's total revenue and is soon to be listed separately on the stock exchange. The Swabians argue that Daimler Trucks should receive a higher valuation on its own than when integrated into the Group. Examples from the recent past show that such an approach can certainly be worthwhile; for instance, the spin-offs of Siemens Energy and Siemens Healthineers were highly successful. But what does Daimler Trucks have to offer?

    The operating margin at Trucks & Buses was recently 6%, in contrast to a whopping 14.3% at Passenger Cars. Daimler is planning to increase the margin for its commercial vehicles to 7% in the foreseeable future. But is that enough for success? Under the circumstances, the spin-off does not seem to be a foregone conclusion. Although Daimler is well-positioned in trucks and has a real blockbuster in the Actros, the truck division faces upheaval. The hydrogen drive must come; otherwise, it will become increasingly difficult to achieve the climate targets. Daimler plans to bring fuel cell trucks to market in larger numbers from the second half of the decade. However, the Company has not yet completely abandoned conventional drive systems and batteries, and is planning a mix of technologies. The extent to which the mobility turnaround in commercial vehicles can succeed without a clear roadmap and a commitment to a key technology remains an open question. Daimler Trucks must become more profitable and make more of its current good market position. Being a first-mover in hydrogen would be a good thing for the Swabians.

    Clean Logistics already puts hydrogen on the road

    One such first mover is the German Company Clean Logistics. The northern Germans converted an existing bus with an internal combustion engine to a hydrogen vehicle in the summer less than a year after receiving the order. Clean Logistics is doing the same with trucks, focusing on the most common models on the European market. Clean Logistics' plan: trucks that were previously gradually scrapped on the secondary market four years after purchase will be converted to hydrogen by the Company, giving them a new life cycle of 10 years. The end result will be a vehicle that is CO2-neutral, requires less maintenance and still offers drivers the same "look and feel" as classic trucks.

    Clean Logistics differentiates itself from large corporations, such as Daimler, through a modular approach and flexible processes. While the big players plan new models and model series long in advance and sometimes take a somewhat woodcut approach, at Clean Logistics, everything is in a state of flux. New components come onto the market in China that promise advantages? Clean Logistics imports them and tries them out! If a new approach promises success, it quickly becomes the standard. CEO Dirk Graszt recently revealed in an interview how the Company is proceeding in concrete terms and why time is pressing in the case of hydrogen drives: "However, to achieve the climate targets, which call for us to save 48% of CO2 in the area of mobility by 2030, we would have to put between 220,000 and 250,000 vehicles over 7.5 tons on the road without emissions in freight transport. Currently, only 10 such vehicles are registered in Germany," Graszt summarized the situation at the time. Clean Logistics' stock, like the business, is in its infancy. However, the ideas behind Clean Logistics are convincing. It also cannot be ruled out that a major truck supplier will subsequently have to correct its screwed-up hydrogen strategy through acquisitions.

    Nikola: What remains after the scandal?

    One company that was considered a takeover candidate for a long time was Nikola. But then came the hydrogen scandal: Nikola had cheated in an advertising video and let its prototypes roll off mountains. In the meantime, the Company's ex-chief has been indicted and is haggling over where to bring the charges. The Company itself announced that it expects only a low three-digit million fine for its misconduct. So all is well at the self-proclaimed hydrogen truck pioneer? The share price has been under heavy pressure for more than a year. Although there are always small rays of hope, such countermovements are part of any downward trend. The Company has gambled away trust.


    To bet on hydrogen trucks, investors would be better off betting on companies that also come from the logistics sector. Daimler is the top dog and should have market share in the end, even if the start into the hydrogen era is rather jerky. The Clean Logistics team also comes from the logistics sector. Here, too, they are not building castles in the air but are converting the most popular models in the industry to be climate-neutral. The experience gained in this way should soon be of value in its own right - climate change is in full swing. Practical solutions are needed today rather than tomorrow.


    Conflict of interest

    Pursuant to §85 of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG), we point out that Apaton Finance GmbH as well as partners, authors or employees of Apaton Finance GmbH (hereinafter referred to as "Relevant Persons") may in the future hold shares or other financial instruments of the mentioned companies or will bet on rising or falling on rising or falling prices and therefore a conflict of interest may arise in the future. conflict of interest may arise in the future. The Relevant Persons reserve the shares or other financial instruments of the company at any time (hereinafter referred to as the company at any time (hereinafter referred to as a "Transaction"). "Transaction"). Transactions may under certain circumstances influence the respective price of the shares or other financial instruments of the of the Company.

    Furthermore, Apaton Finance GmbH reserves the right to enter into future relationships with the company or with third parties in relation to reports on the company. with regard to reports on the company, which are published within the scope of the Apaton Finance GmbH as well as in the social media, on partner sites or in e-mails, on partner sites or in e-mails. The above references to existing conflicts of interest apply apply to all types and forms of publication used by Apaton Finance GmbH uses for publications on companies.

    Risk notice

    Apaton Finance GmbH offers editors, agencies and companies the opportunity to publish commentaries, interviews, summaries, news and etc. on news.financial. These contents serve information for readers and does not constitute a call to action or recommendations, neither explicitly nor implicitly. implicitly, they are to be understood as an assurance of possible price be understood. The contents do not replace individual professional investment advice and do not constitute an offer to sell the share(s) offer to sell the share(s) or other financial instrument(s) in question, nor is it an nor an invitation to buy or sell such.

    The content is expressly not a financial analysis, but rather financial analysis, but rather journalistic or advertising texts. Readers or users who make investment decisions or carry out transactions on the basis decisions or transactions on the basis of the information provided here act completely at their own risk. There is no contractual relationship between between Apaton Finance GmbH and its readers or the users of its offers. users of its offers, as our information only refers to the company and not to the company, but not to the investment decision of the reader or user. or user.

    The acquisition of financial instruments entails high risks that can lead to the total loss of the capital invested. The information published by Apaton Finance GmbH and its authors are based on careful research on careful research, nevertheless no liability for financial losses financial losses or a content guarantee for topicality, correctness, adequacy and completeness of the contents offered here. contents offered here. Please also note our Terms of use.


    Der Autor

    Nico Popp

    At home in Southern Germany, the passionate stock exchange expert has been accompanying the capital markets for about twenty years. With a soft spot for smaller companies, he is constantly on the lookout for exciting investment stories.

    About the author



    Related comments:

    Commented by Armin Schulz on June 1st, 2023 | 08:30 CEST

    Nel ASA, First Hydrogen, Plug Power - Paving the way for hydrogen technology

    • Hydrogen
    • greenhydrogen
    • GreenTech
    • renewableenergies

    Germany has shut down its nuclear power plants, and now the expansion of renewable energies is to be accelerated. But what happens to the surplus electricity when the sun shines all day? In order not to overload the grids, the energy is given away to neighbouring countries. In the future, it will be turned into green hydrogen that can cover the energy needs of industry and the transport sector. On May 25, the Federal Cabinet passed an amendment to the Energy Industry Act that defines the legal framework for a future hydrogen core network in Germany. Hydrogen technology will not only prevail in Germany. We, therefore, take a look at three international hydrogen companies.

    Read

    Commented by Nico Popp on May 30th, 2023 | 08:30 CEST

    Hydrogen drumbeat - where things can move quickly now: Plug Power, NEL, dynaCERT

    • Hydrogen
    • greenhydrogen
    • renewableenergies

    Green hydrogen is becoming a key technology for the industry in the fight against climate change. Wirtschaftswoche reports that by 2030, a whopping 13 million tons of hydrogen will be produced annually in Europe. But the necessary investments are still lacking. In the US, USD 10 billion have already been invested in hydrogen projects, while in Europe, only 7. In order for Europe to reach its goals, it must move faster. But this much already seems certain: companies in the hydrogen sector are facing an exciting phase - we take a closer look at three stocks.

    Read

    Commented by Stefan Feulner on May 30th, 2023 | 08:00 CEST

    Powerful rebound potential - dynaCERT, Manuka Resources, Steinhoff

    • Mining
    • Gold
    • Vanadium
    • Hydrogen

    The default of the world's largest economy seems to have been averted. In the dispute over raising the debt ceiling in the US, Democrats and Republicans reached a compromise; only Congress still has to agree in the middle of the week. This is an advantage for the world's stock markets. The DAX briefly regained the 16,000-point mark. Several small-cap companies were also able to start a countermovement.

    Read