Daimler Truck Unveils Hydrogen Truck at IAA Transportation

On the path to emission-free transport of the future, the first fuel cell prototypes of the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck have been in intensive testing since last year – both on the company’s own test track and on public roads. As part of the IAA Transportation 2022, Daimler Truck is allowing selected visitors to take a ride in the fuel cell truck.

(Stuttgart/Hannover) This demonstrates that Mercedes-Benz Trucks is showcasing the practicality of a fully loaded 40-ton hydrogen truck on public roads, including refueling. Just in time for the start of the IAA, H2 MOBILITY Germany is facilitating this at a Shell station in Laatzen near the exhibition grounds.

During refueling, green and thus CO₂-neutral hydrogen is used. The prototype Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, which has road approval, is powered and refueled with gaseous hydrogen. Additionally, another GenH2 Truck prototype with liquid hydrogen tanks will be displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Trucks booth in Hall 19/20 during the IAA Transportation 2022 in Hannover.

Preference for Liquid Hydrogen

In the development of hydrogen-based drives, Daimler Truck prefers liquid hydrogen in the long term. This energy carrier has a significantly higher energy density in this state compared to gaseous hydrogen, based on volume. This allows for more hydrogen to be transported, significantly increasing the range and enabling the vehicle to achieve performance comparable to that of a conventional diesel truck. The goal of the development is to achieve ranges of up to 1,000 kilometers or more without a refueling stop. This makes the truck suitable for particularly flexible and demanding applications, especially in the important segment of heavy long-distance transport. The series launch for hydrogen-based trucks is planned for the second half of the decade.

Photo: © Daimler Truck