Daimler Truck has entered the second phase of real-world testing for its Mercedes-Benz GenH2 fuel cell truck, placing vehicles with five logistics partners across Germany. The move comes a little over a year after the company launched initial customer-oriented trials, as it works toward small-series production of hydrogen-powered long-haul trucks.
Hornbach, Reber Logistik, Teva Germany, Rhenus and DHL Supply Chain will each operate a GenH2 Truck on their regular routes for one year. The latest testing stage follows earlier trials that began in 2024, but with higher performance and operational requirements. Daimler Truck said the aim is to validate a wider set of use cases and feed insights directly into vehicle development, sales planning and service structures. “The driveline provides precise power delivery with minimal losses,” the company said in its announcement.
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The latest deployments cover long-distance recyclable material transport, regional operations near Duisburg and Wörth, temperature-controlled pharmaceutical logistics and cross-border cargo deliveries. Katrin Hölter, CEO of DHL Supply Chain Germany & Alps, said her company is pairing the GenH2 with electric refrigerated trailers. Hornbach’s authorised signatory Andreas Back added: “It will be used in our recyclable materials fleet in long-haul transport. The recyclable materials fleet has been a success story for over 10 years, making a significant contribution to a closed-loop recycling system.”
Daimler Truck plans to build 100 small-series units at its Woerth plant starting at the end of 2026, but said regular series production has been pushed to after 2030. The company cited slow progress in hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, noting that customers will be unable to deploy hydrogen trucks at scale in the near term. As a result, expected production volumes have also been reduced. The company said its dual strategy of hydrogen and battery-electric vehicles remains in place for Europe, though this may not apply to other markets.
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The GenH2 Truck is powered by two fuel cell systems from Cellcentric, providing a combined 300 kW. A 70 kWh battery adds up to 400 kW temporarily during peak demand, while the electric motors deliver up to 2 x 330 kW maximum power and a total torque of more than 4,000 Nm. Daimler Truck also highlighted an advanced thermal management system designed to maintain optimal component temperatures and extend service life.
Powered by liquid hydrogen (sLH2), the 40-tonne truck provides a payload of roughly 25 tonnes. However, operations are limited by infrastructure: the GenH2 can currently refuel only at two liquid-hydrogen stations in Wörth am Rhein and Duisburg, supplied by partner Linde. Daimler Truck says liquid hydrogen enables long driving ranges, citing a 2023 demonstration in which a prototype travelled 1,047 kilometres on a single tank.
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The ongoing trials follow earlier customer tests conducted with Air Products, Amazon, Holcim, Ineos and Wiedmann & Winz, in which five fuel cell trucks accumulated 225,000 kilometres. Average hydrogen consumption ranged from 5.6 to 8 kilograms per 100 kilometres, depending on load and application.