Daimler Truck tests fuel cell trucks with liquid hydrogen

On the way to fully CO2-neutral transport, including hydrogen-based drives, Daimler Truck reaches the next milestone. Since last year, a fuel cell prototype Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck has been in intensive testing – both on the company’s own test track and on public roads. Daimler Truck is now putting another prototype into operation to test the use of liquid hydrogen. Support also comes from the political side: Daniela Schmitt, Minister of Economics of Rhineland-Palatinate, opened the WEEK OF HYDROGEN SOUTH (#wdws2022) today, among other things, with a test drive in Wörth am Rhein.

(Stuttgart) A newly installed prototype filling station at the development and testing center in Wörth enables refueling with liquid hydrogen. During the recent commissioning, Daimler Truck celebrated the first successful liquid H2 (LH2) refueling of the truck together with Air Liquide. During the refueling process, -253 degrees Celsius cold liquid hydrogen is filled into two 40kg tanks mounted on the sides of the chassis. Due to the particularly good insulation of the vehicle tanks, the hydrogen can be kept at temperature for a sufficiently long time without active cooling.

In the development of hydrogen-based drives, Daimler Truck prefers liquid hydrogen. This energy carrier has a significantly higher energy density in this aggregate state compared to gaseous hydrogen in relation to volume. This allows for more hydrogen to be transported, significantly increasing the range and enabling comparable performance of the vehicle to that of a conventional diesel truck. The development goal of the market-ready GenH2 Truck is a range of up to 1,000 kilometers and more. This makes the truck suitable for flexible and demanding applications, especially in the important segment of heavy long-distance transport. The market launch for hydrogen-based trucks is planned for the second half of the decade.

Comprehensive commitment to hydrogen

At the same time, Daimler Truck is working together with Linde on the development of a new refueling method for liquid hydrogen (“subcooled” liquid hydrogen, “sLH2 technology”). The innovative approach allows for even higher storage density and easier refueling compared to LH2. The companies plan the first refueling of a prototype truck at a pilot station in Germany for the year 2023. Daimler Truck and its partners are focusing on a high degree of transparency and openness regarding the relevant interfaces in the development of sLH2. By involving as many other companies and associations as possible in the development of the new liquid hydrogen standards, a global mass market for the new method is to be established.

In the area of infrastructure for hydrogen filling stations along important transport routes in Europe, Daimler Truck plans to collaborate with companies such as Shell, BP, and TotalEnergies. In addition, Daimler Truck is a shareholder in the hydrogen filling station operator H2 MOBILITY Deutschland. Furthermore, Daimler Truck, IVECO, Linde, OMV, Shell, TotalEnergies, and the Volvo Group are committed to helping hydrogen trucks achieve a breakthrough across Europe through their interest group H2Accelerate (H2A).

On the path to a CO2-neutral future, Daimler Truck has clearly set its strategic course and is consistently pursuing a dual strategy in transitioning its portfolio to CO2-neutral technologies: with battery and hydrogen-based drives. The goal is to offer only new vehicles that are CO2-neutral in operation in the global core markets by the year 2039.

Photo: © Daimler Truck / Image description: Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck prototype