Germany – As a part of its effort to decarbonise the transport industry, Daimler Truck AG of Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Baden-Württemberg has announced it is building a customer (Amazon Air Production, INEOS, Holcim and Wiedmann & Winz) trial fleet of five of its Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks (semi-trailer tractors) which will be tested on German roads starting in June 2024. With a focus on long-haul transport applications, the vehicles will offer a payload of 25 tons at a gross combination weight (GCW) of 40 tons. Furthermore, two liquid hydrogen tanks (44kg capacity each) and a cell-centric fuel-cell system (300 kilowatts) are to be installed, contributing to the high payload and long range.

A Daimler engineering team will be responsible for managing the trial, collecting the data and facilitating the refuelling, which will take place at public liquid hydrogen filling stations* in Wörth am Rhein and in the Duisburg area. This trial aims to demonstrate the capabilities of its hydrogen-powered trucks; however, Daimler admits that a lack of refuelling infrastructure and a constant supply of readily available green hydrogen remains a concern.