Next generation fuel cell truck
Daimler Truck tests first prototypes in the Swiss Alps
London, March 25, 2025, (Oilandgaspress) ––Daimler Truck’s development team has built up first prototypes of Mercedes-Benz’ next generation fuel cell trucks and has recently put them through their paces in a first series of demanding tests. Two vehicles of the next development stage of the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck underwent intensive winter testing at the Simplon Pass in the Swiss Canton of Valais. The tough conditions in the cold and snow, as well as challenging gradient profiles in the region provided excellent conditions for testing the innovative technology under the hood of the liquid hydrogen-powered vehicles and allowed the team to gain valuable insights under realistic extreme conditions.
“For the further development of our Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, we are seamlessly building on the experiences of the first prototype generation and are therefore able to test the improved technology under extreme conditions right from the outset,” explains Dr. Rainer Müller-Finkeldei, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Product Engineering. “With a maximum elevation of more than 2,000 meters above sea level and a climb from 600 meters, the route over the Simplon Pass provided good conditions for testing the interplay of the fuel cell system with other enhanced components. The successful tests have underlined the potential and reliability of the GenH2 Trucks, even under demanding conditions.”
During testing, the interaction of all essential components was tested intensively, including the fuel cell, the high-voltage battery, the e-axle, the tank system, and thermal management. A particular focus was on the use of the Predictive Powertrain Controls system, the topography-dependent cruise control. The objective was to use the battery in combination with the fuel cell efficiently, both with regard to propulsion as well as for recuperation when driving downhill.
Two hydrogen trucks that are CO2e-free in driving operation were deployed and underwent an extensive and demanding test program with a gross vehicle weight of up to 40 tons during a period of 14 days. They covered a total of 6,500 kilometers and crossed mountain roads with an accumulated climb of 83,000 meters. Particularly challenging were the approx. 20-km-long up- and downhill stretches with gradients of 10 to 12 percent, with a total distance covering 1,600 kilometers. The fuel cell trucks were refueled via a mobile hydrogen refueling station from Air Products, which was set up at the test base in Valais.
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