• Daimler Truck is launching the second phase of its customer trials with five Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks together with Hornbach, Reber Logistik, Teva Germany with its brand ratiopharm, Rhenus, and DHL Supply Chain.
• The trial vehicles will be deployed in further use cases and deliver practical insights for series development as well as service and sales processes.
• Daimler Truck’s partners will gain hands-on experience with fuel-cell trucks in everyday transport operations during a test phase of around one year.

Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany – Following the completion of initial customer trials of its Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Trucks, Daimler Truck is now starting the planned second phase with five additional partner companies, in order to prepare its fuel-cell trucks for series production based on real-world customer requirements. Hornbach, Reber Logistik, Teva Germany (with its brand ratiopharm), Rhenus, and DHL Supply Chain will each successively deploy a Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck on their regular logistics routes within Germany. The goal is not only to test use cases across various industries and capture additional operating scenarios, but also to ensure that all findings feed directly into further vehicle development as well as preparations for sales and service processes.

Michael Scheib, Head of Product Engineering, Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “We develop the best trucks for our customers by conducting trials with our partners early on: That's why the next five companies are now testing our hydrogen-powered Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck in daily operation. This is another important step on the road to series production – and to CO₂ neutral transport with battery and hydrogen.”

Specific routes under real-world conditions

All five fuel-cell trucks will be deployed by the partners over a period of one year on different routes under real operating conditions in various logistics applications -- from temperature-controlled pharmaceutical transport to general cargo transport in international long-distance transport.

Katrin Hölter, CEO, DHL Supply Chain Germany & Alps: “With the fuel-cell truck in combination with our fully electric refrigerated trailer, we’re bringing a zero-carbon transport solution to the road that is fully powered by renewable energy. Its deployment in operations on routes across Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, and North Rhine-Westphalia proves that forward-looking, sustainable logistics already works today -- even for sensitive frozen and fresh products. Together with Daimler Truck, we are setting new benchmarks for zero-carbon transport and reinforcing our commitment to being the Green Logistics of choice.”

Andreas Back, Authorized Officer, HORNBACH Baumarkt AG, Waste & Recycling Management, Quality Management & Environment: “Innovation is part of our tradition at HORNBACH – and that includes our internal circular economy. Depending on our needs, we have been testing different drive technologies in day-to-day operations for some time. Daimler Truck’s fuel-cell truck is another step forward. It will be used in our recyclable materials fleet in long-haul transport. The recyclable materials fleet has been a success story for over 10 years, making a significant contribution to a closed-loop recycling system.”

Andreas Burkhardt, Managing Director, Teva Germany: “As a leading pharmaceutical company with nationwide delivery responsibilities, we are committed to driving sustainable logistics forward. As part of the second testing phase of the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, we are using the vehicle in long-haul national transport to test another innovative drive technology for decarbonizing our fleet. Every day, we deliver to hospitals, wholesalers, and pharmacies across Germany while providing valuable real-world feedback to our partner Daimler Truck.”

Mirko Kauffeldt, Managing Director, Reber Logistik: “We’re eager to see how the vehicle performs in everyday use, especially since we have already tested battery-electric trucks for comparison. Since we can currently refuel the truck only in Duisburg and Woerth, we are deploying it specifically in this region. For us, this is an important step toward making CO₂-neutral drive technology tangible.”

Thomas Ippen, Site Manager, Rhenus Duisburg: “The use of the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck marks an important step for Rhenus in advancing our sustainability goals in heavy-duty transport. As an international logistics service provider, we want to demonstrate that climate protection and efficient transport logistics can go hand in hand. The Duisburg site, as a central hub within our network, offers ideal conditions to test hydrogen technology in daily operations and to gain valuable experience for its broader application. 

Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck: For long-haul transport with liquid hydrogen

As a fuel-cell truck with a gross vehicle weight of around 40 tons and a payload of approximately 25 tons, the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck offers technical specifications on par with modern diesel long-haul trucks. Its fuel-cell system delivers a continuous output of up to 300 kW, supported by a small buffer battery to provide situational power support during peak loads and to recover energy during braking. The truck uses liquid hydrogen as the energy source, which offers significant advantages over gaseous hydrogen: higher energy density enables greater range per tank fill and reduced transport requirements – both enhancing economic efficiency and sustainability of operations. Refueling takes place at dedicated liquid hydrogen (sLH2) stations in Woerth am Rhein and the Duisburg area. In the initial trial phase, the five fuel-cell trucks covered more than 225,000 kilometers in total, with average hydrogen consumption ranging between 5.6 and 8.0 kilograms per 100 kilometers, depending on use case, and an average combined vehicle weight between 16 and 34 tons.

Next step: small-series production

In parallel, Daimler Truck has already started developing the next generation of its fuel-cell trucks. As part of a small-series production, a total of 100 tractor units are to be built at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Woerth and put into customer operations starting at the end of 2026.

When it comes to decarbonizing transport, Daimler Truck is pursuing a dual-track strategy with battery- and hydrogen-powered vehicles. However, the expansion of hydrogen refueling infrastructure is progressing significantly slower than expected. As a result, customers will not be able to deploy hydrogen trucks in large numbers in the next few years. Consequently, large-scale industrialization of fuel cells and the planned series production of hydrogen-powered trucks with a focus on Europe is targeted for the early 2030s.