MAN Truck & Bus is preparing to become the first European truck manufacturer to launch vehicles with hydrogen combustion engines. As part of its work in this field, the company plans to initially offer a series of approximately 200 units to its customers in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland and selected countries outside Europe by next year.
Friedrich Baumann, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Sales and Marketing at MAN Truck & Bus, said: “We continue to focus on battery-electric vehicles to decarbonise road freight transport. These vehicles currently have major advantages over other drive concepts in terms of energy efficiency, operating and energy costs. However, trucks powered by hydrogen combustion engines are a useful solution for specific applications and markets. We anticipate that the majority of our customers' transportation applications can be best served with electric trucks. For special applications, hydrogen combustion or, in the future, fuel cell technology is a suitable complement. The hydrogen combustion engine H45 is based on the proven D38 diesel engine and is produced at the engine and battery factory in Nuremberg. The use of known technology not only paves the way for our early entry into the market, but also provides decisive momentum for accelerating the hydrogen infrastructure. "With hTGX, we have added another attractive product to our zero emission portfolio," he said.
Board Member responsible for Research and Development Dr. Frederik Zohm said the following about the new vehicle and the work in this field:
“New CO2 regulations at EU level will classify trucks with hydrogen combustion engines as zero-emission vehicles. This means that such vehicles will fully contribute to our CO2 fleet targets. These vehicles also open the doors to a series that complements battery-electric vehicles. Thanks to the features of the vehicle, our customers will benefit from toll discounts, for example. As a company, we have the most innovative engine technology at MAN's Nuremberg plant and decades of experience in the use of hydrogen as a fuel. We use this and offer a real MAN experience with MAN hTGX. The new hydrogen fuel truck is based on the tried and tested TG vehicle series. The vehicle also impresses our customers with its highest level of quality and uncomplicated maintenance. As MAN, we will continue to research battery technology and hydrogen-based fuel cell technology. H2 fuel technology is also in the preparation phase at MAN. However, it will take several more years for this technology to be truly market ready and competitive.”