Daimler Truck is putting a fuel-cell truck prototype into operation in Germany to test the use of liquid hydrogen.

A newly installed prototype filling station at the development and testing center in Worth, Germany, enables refueling with liquid hydrogen.

Daimler Truck recently celebrated the first successful liquid hydrogen (LH2) refueling of the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 protype truck together with Air Liquide. During the refueling process, cryogenic liquid hydrogen at minus 253 degrees Celsius is filled into two 40 kg tanks mounted on either side of the chassis. Thanks to the good insulation of the vehicle tanks, the hydrogen can be kept at temperature for a sufficiently long time without active cooling.

Daimler Truck prefers liquid hydrogen in the development of hydrogen-based drives, according to a company press release. In this aggregate state the energy carrier has a significantly higher energy density in relation to volume compared to gaseous hydrogen. As a result, more hydrogen can be carried, which significantly increases the range and enables comparable performance of the vehicle with that of a conventional diesel truck.

Since 2021, a Mercedes-Benz GenH2 fuel-cell prototype truck has been undergoing testing – both on the in-house test track and on public roads.

The development objective of the series-ready GenH2 Truck is a range of up to 1,000 kilometres and more. This makes the truck suitable for flexible and demanding applications, especially in the important segment of heavy-duty long-haul transport.

The start of series production for hydrogen-based trucks is planned for the second half of the decade.

Commitment to Hydrogen

Daimler Truck is working together with Linde on the development of a new process for handling liquid hydrogen. Among other things, this innovative approach enables even higher storage density and easier refueling compared to LH2.

The companies plan for the first refueling of a prototype vehicle at a pilot station in Germany in 2023.