H2 fuel cells for trucks: Daimler commences practical test
Daimler Trucks tests H2 fuel cell for trucks, but series production isn't imminent.
Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck during a trial on a test track
(Image: Daimler Trucks)
Daimler Trucks has unveiled the eActros 600, a battery-electric truck with ranges beyond the daily mileage, which is due to go into series production at the end of 2024. Nevertheless, the company wants to keep the alternative of a fuel cell powered by hydrogen in the race. Following internal tests, Daimler Trucks is therefore now sending five H2 tractor units to major customers for a practical test.
Hydrogen in liquid form
They are to be tested in daily logistics operations. Daimler Trucks hopes that this will provide insights for series development, which could start towards the end of this decade. In the GenH2 truck, the developers are relying on hydrogen in liquid form. The two tanks have a total capacity of 88 kg. Daimler emphasizes that this form has advantages in terms of cost and weight. Compared to a tank for gaseous hydrogen, a significantly higher energy density can be used. The payload, which is specified at around 25 tons, can also be increased compared to previous H2 trucks.
In a pre-series version, the two electric motors are each designed for a total of 230 kW continuous and 330 kW maximum output. The torque is 1577 Nm continuous and 2071 Nm at peak. The fuel cell itself delivers up to 300 kW at its peak. The energy supply is supported by a 70 kWh battery, which always supplies additional power when the load requirements are particularly high, for example when starting off. In a test on public roads, this drivetrain achieved a total range of 1047 km with a fully charged battery and full tanks.
Two filling stations
The five tractor units will be used in various long-distance transport applications. Amazon will use the GenH2 truck in its logistics network in Germany, Air Products for the transportation of cylinder gases, Wiedmann & Winz for sea containers, Holcim for the transportation of building materials and Vervaeke, the haulage company of Ineos, for the transportation of PVC and vinyl. The vehicles are to be refueled at two filling stations for liquid hydrogen (sLH2) in Wörth am Rhein and in the Duisburg area.
Politics should deliver
Martin Daum, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck, and Hildegard Müller, VDA President, made demands to politicians at the handover of the five H2 trucks. Powerful, CO₂-neutral vehicles are not enough for the success of sustainable transportation, he said. A corresponding charging and refueling infrastructure as well as cost parity with conventional vehicles is required. Müller was even clearer. The "political framework conditions must now be created: A needs-based network of hydrogen filling stations and the associated infrastructure must be established as a matter of urgency. There is an urgent need for action by politicians, the Federal Network Agency and the energy industry," argued the VDA President.
The industry does not want to tackle the very costly development of a nationwide H2 filling station infrastructure itself. Instead, it is hoping that the taxpayer will help. Müller emphasizes: "On the road to the climate-neutral mobility of the future, the potential of all available technologies should be exploited. Particularly in the field of heavy commercial vehicles, electromobility cannot be equated exclusively with battery-electric drives." Fuel cell drives with hydrogen must also be considered as part of the technological diversity, says Müller.
Open questions
She left open where the green hydrogen, for which there are numerous interested parties in the industry, is to come from in sufficient quantities. The fact that the primary energy requirement with hydrogen as a driving energy source increases enormously compared to a purely battery-electric drive was also left unmentioned. Ultimately, these issues will also be of secondary importance: In the logistics industry, calculations are made in cents per kilometer. In other words: The cheapest type of driving energy will ultimately prevail. If regeneratively produced hydrogen can be offered cheaply across the board, it will have a chance.
(mfz)