Daimler Truck will deliver the first unit of its second-generation Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 Truck to logistics provider Dachser at the end of 2026, marking a further step in the development of hydrogen-powered freight transport in Europe.
Two additional vehicles are scheduled to follow in mid-2027. The three fuel-cell trucks will be based at Dachser’s logistics centre in Karlsruhe, Germany, and incorporated into the company’s transport network, including routes extending to other European countries.
Liquid Hydrogen Technology at the Core
The Karlsruhe facility is located about 30 kilometres from Daimler Truck’s manufacturing plant in Wörth, where the NextGenH2 Truck is produced and where dedicated liquid hydrogen refuelling infrastructure is available.
Unlike many hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles that use gaseous hydrogen, the NextGenH2 Truck relies on liquid hydrogen, or subcooled liquid hydrogen (sLH2), a technology jointly developed by Daimler Truck and industrial gases company Linde. Stored at approximately minus 253 degrees Celsius, liquid hydrogen offers higher energy density than gaseous hydrogen, allowing larger quantities of fuel to be carried onboard.
Daimler Truck said the technology enables greater driving range while maintaining operational performance comparable to conventional diesel-powered trucks. However, liquid hydrogen refuelling infrastructure remains limited, with only a handful of specialised stations currently operating in Germany, including facilities in Wörth and the Duisburg region.
Dachser Sees Potential for Long-Haul Applications
Stefan Hohm, Chief Development Officer at Dachser, said zero-emission vehicles will be essential if the logistics sector is to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and eventually replace diesel trucks.
“In logistics, if we want to sustainably reduce greenhouse gases and air pollutants from long-distance transport and, in the long term, replace diesel trucks completely, what we need is powerful and efficient zero-emission vehicles.”
Hohm noted that battery-electric truck technology has advanced rapidly in recent years and is already being deployed across Dachser’s operations.
“Development work on battery-electric trucks has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years. These vehicles are reliable, they operate very well, and some volume-produced vehicles now even have a range of over 500 kilometers. But getting ahold of sufficient grid connection capacity for them remains a major challenge.”
Dachser currently operates more than 190 electric trucks daily, including several Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 models.
Hydrogen Trucks to Complement Battery-Electric Fleet
According to Daimler Truck, the NextGenH2 Truck is capable of travelling around 1,000 kilometres on a single tank of liquid hydrogen, roughly double the range offered by the battery-electric eActros 600. The company sees fuel-cell technology as a potential solution for applications requiring long ranges and short refuelling times.
Hohm said hydrogen-powered trucks could eventually complement battery-electric vehicles in specific logistics operations.
“Fuel-cell trucks with liquid hydrogen could supplement DACHSER’s e-truck fleet in the future—especially when very long ranges or short refueling times are called for.”
“Once hydrogen technology is mature and economical, it could meet logistical requirements that are currently difficult to handle with battery-electric trucks. That’s why we’re also involved in research and development in the field of hydrogen mobility.”
Government Support Backs Demonstration Fleet
The three vehicles destined for Dachser will form part of Daimler Truck’s planned initial production run of 100 NextGenH2 Trucks, announced earlier this year. While large-scale commercial production is not expected before the 2030s, the manufacturer continues to test the technology under real-world operating conditions.
Development, production and deployment of the NextGenH2 Truck program are being supported by €226 million in public funding from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport as well as the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg.
Industry observers note that while hydrogen fuel-cell trucks offer advantages in range and refuelling speed, the limited availability of hydrogen infrastructure remains one of the key challenges facing broader market adoption.
