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Daimler Truck Enters Hydrogen ICE Arena With Keyou Deal
Truck Maker to Add a 5th Option to Global Engine Alternatives
Key Takeaways:
- <p>Daimler Truck partnered with Keyou to offer hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine tractors in Europe as early as 2027.</p>
- <p>The partnership adds hydrogen combustion to Daimler Truck’s 2027 powertrain lineup alongside diesel, battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell and natural gas options.</p>
- <p>Keyou will convert Mercedes-Benz Actros L 1848 tractors first, while Daimler Truck plans 100 NextGenH2 fuel cell trucks by 2026.</p>
Daimler Truck is teaming up with Keyou to begin offering tractors with hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines as early as 2027, with a focus on European markets.
The partnership adds a fifth variable to the engine options the world’s largest truck maker will offer in 2027. The other four options are diesel, battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell electric and internal combustion engines fueled by natural gas.
The move by Freightliner and Western Star’s parent company also kick-starts competition with Volvo Group’s Cespira hydrogen ICE powertrain joint venture.
Daimler Truck’s existing vehicle and engine variants will provide the basis for the partnership. Keyou will be responsible for the hydrogen conversion, with the Munich-based company’s service providers adapting vehicles and engines.
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(Daimler Truck)
Mercedes-Benz Actros L 1848 tractor units and engines manufactured in Mannheim, Germany, with the existing 12.8-liter engine platform will be the first trucks Keyou and its service partners convert.
The resulting tractor, the Keyou HICE.40, is expected to achieve a range of up to 650 kilometers or just more than 400 miles.
Longer term, the port fuel-injection system with 350-bar compressed hydrogen is expected to be adapted to additional Daimler Truck models.
Daimler Truck said it had been exploring hydrogen combustion for several years and, instead of building its own systems, opted for a partnership model.
“The road freight transport sector requires different drive solutions for different applications,” said Andreas Gorbach, the member of the Daimler Truck board responsible for truck technology. “Hydrogen can be used to power both fuel cells and internal combustion engines. By working with Keyou, we are partnering with a specialized company to bring hydrogen combustion technology to market quickly and efficiently.”
Daimler Truck said it believes trucks with hydrogen ICE powertrains are robust and have lower system complexity compared with fuel cells, making them particularly suited for applications with high payload requirements.
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In comparison, the truck maker sees fuel cell technology offering advantages in demanding longhaul operations, noting ranges of more than 1,000 kilometers are possible with minimal and speedy fueling.
German logistics group Dachser will be the first customer to put production models of the Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 hydrogen fuel cell electric tractor on the road in December.
Dachser Group ranks No. 35 on the Transport Topics Top 50 list of the largest global freight companies.
NextGenH2 has a range of more than 1,000 kilometers when both liquid hydrogen tanks are fueled up. A liquid hydrogen refueling technology developed by Daimler Truck and its partner Linde, known as sLH2, allows the truck to be fully fueled within 10-15 minutes.
Linde (North America) ranks No. 29 on the TT Top 100 list of the largest private carriers in North America.
A total of 100 NextGenH2 trucks will be built at Mercedes-Benz’s flagship Wörth plant by the end of 2026 as part of the first small-series production run for the model.
Daimler Truck drew the curtain back on the NextGenH2 in January, the second generation of its GenH2 hydrogen fuel cell tractor. Series production of the fuel cell trucks is targeted for the early 2030s.
The German company said it supports the development of hydrogen refueling stations capable of dispensing both gaseous and liquid hydrogen, allowing all common hydrogen forms to be offered at a single station, as is the case for gasoline and diesel stations.
The Keyou HICE.40 will use gaseous hydrogen, and the NextGenH2 will use liquid hydrogen.
In North America, meanwhile, Freightliner is offering its flagship Cascadia tractor with a Cummins X15N engine fueled by natural gas.
Cummins is also expected to offer an internal combustion engine fueled by hydrogen as part of its High Efficiency, Lower Emissions, Multiple Fuels program. The engine maker is set to offer non-diesel options of the X10 engine.
Freightliner and Western Star will offer six Cummins engines in 2027, including the X10.
