Daimler Truck over the summer started trials of a fuel-cell electric truck fueled by liquid hydrogen in order to determine how the fuel compares to gaseous hydrogen.
The prototype truck is based on the first ‘GenH2’ truck tested last year, which used gaseous hydrogen. The new vehicle is refueled at a prototype filling station installed by Air Liquide. Cryogenic liquid hydrogen at minus 253 degrees Celsius fills up two 40 kg tanks mounted on either side of the chassis. The tanks are insulated well enough to negate the need for active cooling for “a sufficiently long time,” according to Daimler Truck.
Because of the higher energy density than gaseous hydrogen, liquid hydrogen can be stored in smaller and lighter tanks, providing more cargo space and payload. Moreover, liquid hydrogen can be stored in greater quantities, increasing the vehicle’s range. Daimler Truck’s aim is to produce a fuel-cell truck capable of traveling beyond 1,000 km before refueling.