|
Listen to this story:
|
- Daimler Truck starts real-life trials of hydrogen-powered trucks with major companies.
- Five Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks tested for one year by Amazon, Air Products, and others.
- Insights from trials will shape future CO2-neutral truck development.
In a significant step towards sustainable transportation, Daimler Truck has initiated customer trials for their Mercedes-Benz GenH2 hydrogen fuel cell trucks. Five prototype trucks are being tested by Amazon, Air Products, Holcim, INEOS, and Wiedmann & Winz over the course of a year. This collaboration will provide crucial real-world data that will inform the trucks’ development and help Daimler Truck meet its goal of CO2-neutral transport by 2039.
At the Daimler Truck Test and Development Center in Woerth am Rhein, Martin Daum, Chairman of Daimler Truck, marked the start of these trials alongside Hildegard Müller, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). These initial trials will see the trucks operating on various long-haul routes in Germany, transporting building materials, gases, sea containers, and more.
Industry Leadership
Martin Daum emphasized the importance of the trials, stating, “When it comes to decarbonizing transport, we are focusing on battery-electric and hydrogen-based drives. The transformation can only succeed if green energy is sufficiently and comprehensively available – and for this we need both technologies. With regard to hydrogen drives, we are now taking another important step towards series readiness: we are starting the trials of our Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks in real-life daily transport operations with our customers. However, it is important to note that high-performance CO2-neutral vehicles alone will not be enough to make sustainable transportation successful. This also requires a corresponding charging and refueling infrastructure, as well as cost parity with conventional vehicles. Although policymakers and energy companies are already active here, we urgently need even more momentum, across entire Europe!” This trial phase will allow Daimler Truck to gather valuable insights into the operational performance and customer requirements of hydrogen-powered trucks.
Trial Details
The five GenH2 Trucks will be refueled at designated liquid hydrogen filling stations in Woerth am Rhein and Duisburg. Throughout the trial period, the trucks will remain under the supervision of Daimler Truck to ensure they meet performance and safety standards.
Seifi Ghasemi, Chairman, President, and CEO of Air Products, highlighted the critical role of these trials: “With thousands of trucks delivering industrial gases to our customers every day, logistics is an integral part of our business. Trialing a Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck under real conditions is a critical step in our work to convert our distribution fleet to hydrogen powered vehicles. On the pathway to sustainable transportation, safe and reliable production, transportation, and distribution of renewable hydrogen across the entire value chain is also essential. This is Air Products’ proven area of expertise, and we’re proud to be providing critical refueling infrastructure and liquid hydrogen as part of this project.”
Amazon’s Andreas Marschner reiterated the company’s commitment to sustainability: “We remain steadfast in our Climate Pledge commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions across our operations by 2040. The decarbonization of our transport network plays a crucial role in achieving this milestone, and we continue to invest, experiment and innovate. We look forward to supporting the Daimler Truck development team in the next phase of this project.”
Technical Specifications
The Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks are designed to match conventional trucks in payload, range, and performance. Each truck features a payload capacity of approximately 25 tons and a gross weight of 40 tons. The fuel cell system delivers 300 kW, supported by a 400 kW battery. Two stainless-steel tanks hold a total of 88 kg of liquid hydrogen, enabling the trucks to travel over 1,000 kilometers on a single fill.
Future Potential
Liquid hydrogen offers significant advantages, including higher energy density, which enhances range and reduces transport efforts. This makes the GenH2 Truck suitable for flexible and demanding long-haul transportation. Daimler Truck’s successful #HydrogenRecordRun in September 2023, where a GenH2 Truck covered 1,047 km on a single tank of liquid hydrogen, underscores the viability of this technology.
Holcim’s John H. Landwehr expressed enthusiasm for the trials: “In our bulk logistics, payload has always played a significant role in terms of CO2 footprint and efficiency. After extensive tests with battery-electric trucks, we are incredibly excited to continue testing the path to sustainable transportation of the future with a hydrogen-powered truck. Only with our own intensive experience can we make the right decisions for the change in our group starting in 2025.””
INEOS and VERVAEKE also shared their support. Wouter Bleukx, Business Director Hydrogen at INEOS Inovyn, stated: “We are delighted to be part of the customer fuel cell technology trial. Hydrogen is a game-changing energy solution that will transform truck transportation and help us achieve a zero-emission future. As Europe’s largest operator of electrolysis, and a producer and consumer of low-carbon hydrogen, INEOS is in a unique position to drive this vital change. Together with our logistics partner VERVAEKE, we are excited to support Daimler Truck.”
Related Article: Amazon’s Sustainability Exchange Offers Free Decarbonization Tools, Mandates Supplier Commitment to Climate Goals
Managing Director Dr. Micha Lege of Wiedmann & Winz remarked: “Our company has always been interested in innovations, as Wiedmann & Winz was one of the first enterprises to invest in telematics and digitalization in transportation with Fleetboard. We have also recently been using an eActros 300 as a semitrailer truck in everyday haulage operations. Now we are looking forward to taking the next step and also testing a long-haul truck with a hydrogen fuel cell drive, in the form of the GenH2 Truck.”
The trials of the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks represent a pivotal step towards sustainable, CO2-neutral transportation. Through this collaboration, Daimler Truck is demonstrating the practical viability of hydrogen fuel cell technology in heavy-duty logistics, paving the way for a cleaner, greener future in transport.