The German manufacturer MAN, will be the first in Europe to launch a small series of trucks featuring a hydrogen combustion engine. 200 units are planned for customers in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland and a number of non-European countries.

It appears that, for the time being, Man has chosen to go with a hydrogen engine rather than a fuel cell for the hTGX, a truck designed for heavy loads such as timber transport. This will serve as a complement to electric trucks in areas where there is no recharging infrastructure. Friedrich Baumann, Executive Board Member of MAN Truck & Bus, stated that “for special applications, hydrogen combustion or, in the future, fuel cell technology is a suitable supplement.”

A hydrogen engine comparable to diesel

The H45 hydrogen combustion engine is based on the D38 diesel engine. It delivers 383 kW (520 bhp) and 2,500 Nm of torque. It is particularly well suited to this type of truck, which has no room for a battery on the chassis. Direct injection of hydrogen into the engine rapidly generates power. And the real appeal lies in the range, which stands at 600 km in the 6×2 and 6×4 axle variants initially suggested. The vehicle carries 56 kg of hydrogen compressed to 700 bars, and can be refuelled in less than 15 minutes.

With less than 1g of CO2/km, the MAN hTGX will meet the criteria of a “zero-emission vehicle” under the new European CO2 legislation.

“We will continue to research fuel cell technology based on battery technology and hydrogen. H2 fuel technology is also in preparation at MAN. However, it will be several years before the technology is really ready for the market and competitive,” declared Dr Frederik Zohm, Executive Board Member for Research & Development.

Read the press release.

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Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Mariem Ben Tili