Hydrogen long-haul trucks move closer to reality

Daimler Truck is moving a step closer to making hydrogen-powered long-haul transport a reality.

The company plans to place 100 Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 fuel cell trucks into customer operations from the end of 2026.

Built at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth, Germany, these trucks represent a new stage in Daimler’s hydrogen strategy, following extensive trials with the first-generation GenH2 prototypes.

The NextGenH2 trucks are designed for demanding long-distance routes, using liquid hydrogen (LH₂) stored at –253°C. This allows higher energy density than compressed hydrogen, enabling ranges of over 1,000 km at full load. 

Feedback from early customer trials has informed design improvements, including a more compact Tech Tower for better trailer compatibility, integrated boil-off management for safety, and enhanced crash protection for hydrogen tanks. Testing in extreme winter and summer conditions has also helped refine the trucks ahead of their limited-series rollout.

Supported by €226 million in public funding from the German federal and regional governments, Daimler plans full series production of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in the early 2030s. The small-series deployment of 100 vehicles is a key milestone, demonstrating that hydrogen trucks are moving from prototypes to practical, ready-to-use transport solutions.

Read more: 100 hydrogen trucks: Daimler Truck sets timeline for customer rollout