(Berlin / Germany) – Deutz AG and BMW are testing hydrogen combustion engines in daily factory operations. The trucks were developed as part of the HyCET (Hydrogen Combustion Engine Trucks) project and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport. According to the company, the goal is "to establish hydrogen combustion as a robust solution for heavy goods transport."
The project centers on two 18-ton trucks based on Daimler's "Econic" platform – specialized low-floor trucks equipped with hydrogen engines from Deutz. The general contractor is IAV GmbH Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und Verkehr, and project partners are Paul Nutzfahrzeuge and Voit Automotive.
From concept to road approval
According to IAV, the challenge lay "in the holistic system integration" up to road approval. This involved converting the powertrain to hydrogen operation, integrating the tank system, and coordinating it with all components. The result, says IAV Managing Director Jörg Astalosch, is "not an isolated solution, but a functioning ecosystem for heavy-duty transport."
Bert van Hasselt (CEO of the NewTech Business Unit at Deutz) and Jörg Astalosch (CEO of IAV) at the handover of the trucks. © IAV GmbH
Hydrogen combustion engines are "a powerful and practical solution for the logistics of tomorrow" and "an ideal complement" to battery-electric drives and fuel cells – especially where high loads and fast refueling times are required, says Bert van Hasselt, CEO of the NewTech Business Unit at Deutz. "With their use in factory transport, we are taking the decisive step into practical application."
Photo above
18-tonne truck based on the Daimler Econic platform. © IAV GmbH
