Commercial vehicles Daimler is testing hydrogen propulsion

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Fuel cell? Battery? Or both? Where the journey goes with the truck is not yet clear. That's why everything is being tested. Also at the Brenner Pass.

Felix Kauffmann is in good spirits but in a bad mood. Because for the umpteenth time this week, the trucker is steering his 40-tonner over the Europabrücke - and once again, he finds himself stuck in traffic on the Brenner North ramp.

No wonder. After all, with around 2.5 million trucks and 40 million tons of freight per year, this is one of the busiest transit routes in Europe. And strictly speaking, Kauffmann is exactly here because of that.

Because he has not loaded time-critical freight and is not worried about arriving punctually somewhere in Italy. Kauffmann is a test driver, and his service vehicle is not only intended to bring a better future to the plagued residents here in Steinach or Gries but also to save the climate.

Ultimate stress test for the "GenH2"

"GenH2" is written on the silver colossus, and instead of a 15.6-liter diesel engine with over 500 hp, the trucker sits above two fuel cells powered by hydrogen, which supply two electric motors each with 450 hp.

While the trucks around him emit thick black smoke in stop-and-go traffic, only clouds of water vapor waft from his exhaust. And instead of a loud rumble, you only hear a soft hum. At least until the huge fans kick in.

Because gradients of more than six percent, a pass height of 1,370 meters, and then also the crawling speed – that is the ultimate stress test for the alternative drive, says the developer as he meticulously studies the curves on his control screens.

Temperatures rise, performance decreases due to thin air, and the electronics struggle to find the right operating strategy between the fuel cell and the relatively small 70 kWh buffer battery. And the traffic jam just doesn't want to end.

"There is a significant need for action to introduce alternative drives in road freight transport."

The fact that Kauffmann is making slow progress almost has a symbolic element. Because, just like his truck at the Brenner Pass, the entire industry is still struggling with the transition to mobility. While the shift seems irreversible for cars, progress is much slower for commercial vehicles, and long-haul transportation, in particular, is still hesitant about the concept of carbon-neutral freight transport.

For good reason, says Steffen Stumpp from the Munich strategy consultancy Berylls. "There are currently simply no market-ready vehicles that could compete with diesel for long-haul trips." Speed is of the essence. "There is a significant need for action to introduce alternative drives in road freight transport," warns the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research in Karlsruhe.

He accounts for more than a third of the national greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector – and considering a continuously increasing freight traffic, the tendency is rather increasing. Accordingly, the policy has long tightened the screws on commercial vehicle manufacturers: By 2025, they must reduce their fleet consumption by 15 percent and by 30 percent by 2030, as Brussels decided four years ago.

And now, the traffic light coalition in Germany is taking the next step: Starting next year, they have passed a toll reform for climate protection, imposing an additional 200 euros for every ton of CO2 emissions. In return, emission-free trucks will be exempt from the toll until 2025 and will only have to pay 25 percent of the standard rate thereafter.

Electric trucks are more suitable for distribution traffic.

The outcry in the transport sector is loud because of the limited number of alternatives. For hauliers, this essentially means a doubling of the toll, which cannot be avoided due to a lack of clean vehicles, argues the Federal Association of Goods Transport, Logistics, and Disposal.

And because the industry generates only minimal profits, the additional costs for the CO2 toll could end up with the end consumer through trade. For the time being, this may be true, admits Berylls expert Stumpp. However, in the medium term, the transport sector will also contribute to climate protection and therefore will have to switch from diesel to electric drive.

Unlike in passenger cars, two alternatives seem to be establishing themselves for electric driving, the expert outlines the market situation: The battery or, as in the modified Actros at the Brenner Pass, the fuel cell. The battery has the advantage of being already available and can at least partially utilize existing infrastructure.

The ranges are still so limited that electric trucks are currently only suitable for distribution traffic, says Daimler strategist Tilman Morlok with regard to the E-Actros, which is now entering the market with a range of 300 or 400 kilometers. Morlok is leading the development of the E-Actros Longhaul, which is set to arrive next year and then achieve 500 kilometers. For this, it will have 600 kWh of battery capacity, which is as much as nine Mercedes EQC vehicles.

"If such vehicles with megawatt technology are charged and can absorb enough energy for the rest of the workday during the driver's mandatory rest periods, and are also traveling on well-planned routes, then they are indeed suitable for long-haul transport."

"Those who really want to drive long distances cannot avoid the fuel cell."

"However, those who really want to drive long distances and do not yet know where their load will go tomorrow cannot avoid the fuel cell," concedes Daimler's Morlok, explaining the dual development approach of the Swabians. Only in this way can they cover the majority of the market and actually achieve ranges of up to 1,000 kilometers."

Daimler is not alone in this endeavor. On the contrary: The fuel cell in the experimental truck, which is expected to go into series production by 2027/28, comes from the joint venture Cellcentric, established by the Swabians in partnership with Volvo, turning their fiercest competitors into partners. Hyundai also believes in the technology, as does the American startup Nikola, which plans to launch hydrogen propulsion in Europe in collaboration with Iveco.