Daimler Truck has initiated the second phase of customer trials for its Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, partnering with five logistics and retail companies across Germany. Hornbach, Reber Logistik, Teva Germany (ratiopharm brand), Rhenus, and DHL Supply Chain will each deploy a fuel-cell truck for approximately one year in regular operations. The expanded trial program aims to validate series production readiness across diverse use cases while refining service and sales processes based on real-world operational data.
Highlights
- Five companies will operate GenH2 Trucks for one year across pharmaceutical transport, general cargo, and recyclables logistics in Germany
- Initial trial phase logged over 225,000 kilometers with hydrogen consumption between 5.6 and 8.0 kilograms per 100 kilometers
- Small-series production of 100 tractor units planned for late 2026, with large-scale industrialization delayed until early 2030s due to infrastructure constraints
- GenH2 Truck delivers 300 kW continuous power with 40-ton gross vehicle weight and 25-ton payload capacity using liquid hydrogen
Trial Program Objectives
The second-phase trials will test fuel-cell trucks across multiple industry sectors and logistics applications. Partners will operate vehicles on regular routes under real-world conditions, from temperature-controlled pharmaceutical distribution to international long-haul general cargo transport. All operational data will feed directly into final vehicle development and commercial preparation activities.
“We develop the best trucks for our customers by conducting trials with our partners early on: That’s why the next five companies are now testing our hydrogen-powered Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck in daily operation,” said Michael Scheib, Head of Product Engineering, Mercedes-Benz Trucks. “This is another important step on the road to series production – and to CO2 neutral transport with battery and hydrogen.”
Industry Partner Deployments
Each participating company will deploy the GenH2 Truck in sector-specific applications across German logistics networks.
DHL Supply Chain will operate the fuel-cell truck combined with a fully electric refrigerated trailer on routes across Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, and North Rhine-Westphalia for frozen and fresh product transport. “With the fuel-cell truck in combination with our fully electric refrigerated trailer, we’re bringing a zero-carbon transport solution to the road that is fully powered by renewable energy,” said Katrin Hölter, CEO, DHL Supply Chain Germany & Alps.
Hornbach will integrate the truck into its recyclables fleet for long-haul transport operations. “Daimler Truck’s fuel-cell truck is another step forward. It will be used in our recyclable materials fleet in long-haul transport,” said Andreas Back, Authorized Officer, HORNBACH Baumarkt AG.
Teva Germany will deploy the vehicle in nationwide pharmaceutical distribution. “As part of the second testing phase of the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, we are using the vehicle in long-haul national transport to test another innovative drive technology for decarbonizing our fleet,” said Andreas Burkhardt, Managing Director, Teva Germany.
Reber Logistik will operate the truck specifically in the Duisburg-Woerth region where refueling infrastructure is available. “Since we can currently refuel the truck only in Duisburg and Woerth, we are deploying it specifically in this region,” said Mirko Kauffeldt, Managing Director.
Rhenus will test hydrogen technology at its Duisburg hub facility. “The Duisburg site, as a central hub within our network, offers ideal conditions to test hydrogen technology in daily operations,” said Thomas Ippen, Site Manager, Rhenus Duisburg.
GenH2 Truck Technical Specifications
The Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck matches conventional diesel long-haul truck performance parameters with zero-emission operation:
- Gross vehicle weight: 40 tons
- Payload capacity: 25 tons
- Fuel-cell output: 300 kW continuous power
- Energy storage: Buffer battery for peak load support and regenerative braking
- Fuel type: Liquid hydrogen (sLH2)
- Refueling locations: Woerth am Rhein and Duisburg area stations
Liquid hydrogen provides higher energy density compared to gaseous hydrogen, enabling greater range per tank fill and reduced transport requirements. This improves both operational economics and sustainability metrics.
First-Phase Performance Data
The initial trial phase with five GenH2 Trucks generated substantial operational data:
- Total distance: Over 225,000 kilometers
- Hydrogen consumption: 5.6 to 8.0 kg per 100 kilometers (depending on use case)
- Average vehicle weight: 16 to 34 tons combined
Production Timeline and Infrastructure Challenges
Daimler Truck is developing the next-generation fuel-cell truck for small-series production. The Mercedes-Benz Woerth plant will build 100 tractor units for customer operations starting in late 2026.
However, hydrogen refueling infrastructure deployment is progressing significantly slower than originally projected. This infrastructure gap will prevent large-scale hydrogen truck adoption in the near term. Consequently, Daimler Truck has pushed large-scale industrialization of fuel-cell technology and series production to the early 2030s, with focus on European markets.
The company maintains a dual-track decarbonization strategy encompassing both battery-electric and hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles.
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