Germany – As a part of its effort to decarbonise the transport industry, Daimler Truck AG of Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Baden-Württemberg and Mörtlbauer Baumaschinen Vertriebs GmbH have been collaborating on the WaVe project*, which focuses on developing hydrogen combustion engines for heavy-duty and specialised vehicles. Mörtlbauer, a company specialising in construction equipment, plays a key role by providing practical expertise in machinery, while Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks supplies the vehicle platforms, such as the Unimog U 430, which have been modified to operate using hydrogen combustion technology.

Together, they have developed and tested vehicle prototypes, including a Unimog equipped with a hydrogen combustion engine. These vehicles are intended to replace traditional diesel engines, showcasing the feasibility of hydrogen-powered machinery in real-world conditions. Mörtlbauer has contributed valuable insights into implementing the technology in specialised machinery, such as ensuring that power take-offs and high power outputs needed for attachments are compatible with the hydrogen engines​.

*The development of the test vehicle with a hydrogen combustion engine is taking place within the framework of the publicly funded “WaVe” project. The project, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, is being jointly implemented by 18 partners from industry and science and started in July 2021. The objective of the WaVe project is to examine the extent to which a conventional diesel engine as a multi-energy distributor for the traction drive and all power take-offs can be substituted by a hydrogen-powered combustion engine.