Daimler Trucks is preparing to deploy its first pilot fleet of hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks this year, on its way to meeting zero-emissions rules in Europe and North America in the next decade.
Amazon, Air Products, Ineos, Holcim and Wiedmann & Wiens will participate in the initial customer trials with fuel cell trucks. The five trailers will be deployed in various long-haul applications on selected routes in Germany.
The vehicles will be refuelled at dedicated public liquid hydrogen (sLH2) filling stations in Wörth am Rhein and in the Duisburg area.
Daimler Trucks favors the use of liquid hydrogen in the development of hydrogen-based engines. In this aggregated case, the energy carrier not only has a significantly higher energy density, but transportation costs can also be significantly reduced, company officials say. As a result, more hydrogen can be transported, which significantly increases the range and enables the vehicle to perform on par with a conventional diesel truck, the company says. Liquid hydrogen tanks also offer advantages in terms of cost and weight. The use of liquid hydrogen therefore allows for a higher payload.
“With this first fleet of trucks for customers, our fuel cell trucks are now being tested in real customer operations,” says Andreas Gorbach, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler Trucks responsible for Truck Technology. “Our customers get to know the fuel cell technology in real-world everyday operations and our engineering team can better understand customer needs and relevant use cases, taking them into account for series development.”
Both the United States and the European Union are trying to phase out diesel fuel in heavy trucks and work vehicles by 2040.
Daimler’s move is seen as crucial to promoting the idea that diesel could be replaced by batteries and fuel cells. The company says it captured a 43.5% share of the North American market in the first three months of 2023. The company’s 2022 earnings report a 39.3% calendar-year North American market share for the 6-8 series and a 40% share of the 8 series market alone.
Managing Director Micha Legg sees high deployment potential for the innovative truck, especially on logistics routes across Europe: “Our company has always been a pioneer when it comes to innovation.”
John H. Landwehr, owner of the logistics company Gerdes + Landwehr, part of the Holcim Group, plans to transport pellets and minerals for the building materials industry using a Mercedes-Benz GenH2 truck. “Payload has always played an important role in our bulk logistics when it comes to CO2,” he adds.2 “Footprint and efficiency. After extensive testing of battery-electric trucks, we are pleased to continue exploring the path towards sustainable transport with a hydrogen-powered truck. Only with our own experience can we make the right decisions for the change that begins in 2025 in our commercial group.”
