The first prototypes of Mercedes-Benz’s next-generation fuel cell trucks have been assembled by Daimler Truck’s development team. Testing on these trucks has already commenced, and the conditions for these tests are extreme enough to ensure the trucks are suitable for real-world harsh conditions.

Intensive winter testing was performed on two vehicles from the next development stage of the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, at the Simplon Pass in the Swiss Canton of Valais. These tests involved rough conditions, challenging gradient profiles, and overall made it possible for the teams to expand their knowledge of how the truck’s technology will cope in realistic extreme conditions.

All essential components were subjected to extremely thorough testing, which included, the e-axle, the high-voltage battery, the tank system, the fuel cell, and thermal management. Focus was also dedicated to the Predictive Powertrain Controls system and the topography-dependent cruise control. Efficiently using the battery with the fuel cell was tested for both propulsion and recuperation when driving downhill.

Another phase of testing included two CO2e-free hydrogen trucks being deployed and going through a demanding and extensive test program. The trucks covered 6,500 kilometres which included mountain roads, an accumulated climb of 83,000 metres, and gradients between 10% and 12%. A mobile refuelling station from Air Products assisted the test from its base in Valais.

Daimler Truck received €226 million worth of funding from the German Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) and the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. This will be used for development, small-scale production, feasibility studies, investments in required production facilities, processes in preparation for planned series production, and customer deployment of one hundred fuel cell trucks.

Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth will host the final assembly of the next generation fuel cell trucks, and at the end of 2026, the trucks will go into operation.

Dr. Rainer Müller-Finkeldei, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Product Engineering, commented, “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. 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.”