Daimler Truck's Hydrogen-Based Fuel Cell Truck Gets Road Use Permit

Constantly following its technology strategy for the electrification of its vehicles, Daimler Truck has reached an important milestone. German authorities allowed the improved prototype of the hydrogen-based fuel cell Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck to be used on public roads as of October.

Daimler Truck started testing the Mercedes-Benz GenH2020 Truck, introduced in 2, on the company's test tracks in April. The truck, which is aimed to reach a range of 1.000 kilometers or more without refueling in its serial production version, has successfully covered thousands of kilometers in these tests so far. Now the tests are moving to the B462 road near Rastatt, the public roads. Here, as part of the eWayBW project, overhead trucks will be tested during operation by electrifying freight trucks. The project will also conduct comparative tests between the fully battery-powered Mercedes-Benz eActros and other manufacturers' overhead trucks and fuel cell trucks. Daimler Truck has no plans to produce overhead trucks.

First deliveries scheduled for 2027

With Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck obtaining a road use permit, Daimler Truck has left behind an important milestone on the road to mass production, and the first mass-produced GenH2 Truck is expected to be delivered to customers by 2027. Daimler Truck also aims that all new vehicles it will offer in Europe, Japan and North America from 2039 at the latest, will be carbon-neutral while driving (“From the tank to the wheel”). In order to achieve this goal, Daimler Truck follows a double-arm strategy by using electric vehicle technologies, which are powered by battery or hydrogen-based fuel cell propulsion systems. By using technologies together in this way, Daimler Truck offers its customers the best vehicle options for specific usage scenarios. As the load gets lighter and the distance gets shorter, the possibility of using battery electric trucks increases, while when the load gets heavier and the distance gets longer, hydrogen-based fuel cell trucks will be preferred more.