Although hydrogen fuel cells lack incentives for small cars, it still has a future with large trucks. At the 2022 IAA Hannover Exhibition, Mercedes-Benz showcased a hydrogen fuel cell prototype truck, which is expected to be available in 2025.

The company that announced the launch of a hydrogen truck with a battery life of more than 1,000 last was Nikola, a new American company, but it ultimately fell on suspicion of fraud. A truck powerful enough to flip the paradigm had not been realized but the company has begun to deliver lithium-ion battery trucks. Therefore, it is difficult for traditional car manufacturers such as Mercedes and Volvo to distinguish themselves and difficult for people to regain confidence in hydrogen fuel cell trucks.

Mercedes-Benz has been developing hydrogen power technology for many years. The Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck exhibited this time has been in laboratory and open road tests since last year and it is now finally open to actual test drives by invited VIPs.

During the on-site test ride of the GenH2, it was fully loaded with 40 tons of cargo and filled with hydrogen. In order to demonstrate hydrogen charging speed, the GenH2 drove all the way to the Shell filling station near the exhibition site to quickly refill the hydrogen cylinder on the vehicle. The big advantage of hydrogen refilling is speed, the truck can be fully filled with hydrogen in 15 minutes and has a range of 1,000 kilometers.

▲Mercedes-Benz Hydrogen Truck Demonstrates Hydrogenation Process

It is worth noting, Mercedes-Benz stated that the hydrogen used in the Shell filling station is entirely produced with green electricity and is carbon neutral.

It is worth mentioning, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo technology are based on liquid hydrogen as fuel. Through the precise insulation of storage tanks on both sides of the vehicle, about 40 kg of liquid hydrogen can be carried and, without additional cooling, the hydrogen can be maintained at -253 ° C. Mercedes-Benz points out that liquid hydrogen can be stored at a higher density and the same volume is more efficient than gas.

As a cooperative research and development partner, Volvo also exhibited hydrogen trucks at the same event. The difference between the two trucks is  load capacity. The Volvo hydrogen fuel cell truck is expected to carry a maximum of 65 tons of cargo with a cruising range of the same 1,000 kilometers.

Volvo expects that in 2025, hydrogen fuel cells will be handed over to customers for testing, actual cargo will be carried, and the hydrogen filling will be experienced. The hydrogen used in the process is required to be completely produced by green electricity.

Mercedes believes that hydrogen fuel cell truck technology will be completed in 2025 and then it will enter mass production, ushering in a new generation of pollution-free trucks.

（Image：Daimler）