Daimler Truck and Linde Engineering, two leading industrial companies, have jointly developed sLH2, a new process for handling subcooled liquid hydrogen. When compared to gaseous hydrogen, this innovative approach allows for a higher storage density, a greater range, faster refueling, lower costs and superior energy efficiency.  

Refueling takes around ten to fifteen minutes for a 40-ton heavy-duty truck, carrying 80 kg of liquid hydrogen for a range of 1,000 kilometers and more. At the same time, the new sLH2 technology lowers the required investment for a hydrogen refueling station by a factor of two to three, and operational costs are five to six times lower. Today, liquid hydrogen can be supplied reliably throughout Europe. 

Daimler Truck and Linde Engineering are aiming to establish a common refueling standard for hydrogen-powered trucks, the technology is made openly available to all interested parties via an ISO standard. 

The first public sLH2 fuel station was inaugurated in Wörth am Rhein, Germany, and will also be used by selected logistics customers for initial customer trials with the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck from mid-2024. 

Daimler Truck AG, IVECO, OMV, Shell and the Volvo Group committed to work together in H2Accelerate (H2A) to help create the conditions for the mass-market roll-out of hydrogen trucks in Europe.

The widespread introduction of hydrogen-powered trucks will take about a decade. The first step is ought to be taken by customers who are committed to this technology at an early stage and want to use corresponding trucks.

Initially, the trucks will operate in regional clusters and along European transport routes with high capacity utilization and good density of hydrogen filling stations. Over the course of the decade, these clusters can then be interconnected to create a Europe-wide network.

Public funding will be needed to establish hydrogen-powered trucks. Thus, in a first phase, those involved in H2Accelerate intend to jointly acquire funding for early pre-series projects. In parallel, they will work with policymakers and regulators.

Daimler Buses and H2 MOBILITY Germany are cooperating in the expansion of the hydrogen tank infrastructure for transportation companies. The bus manufacturer will be brokering the range of hydrogen tank services of H2 MOBILITY Germany for buses with hydrogen-based fuel cells as part of a holistic consulting approach. H2 MOBILITY Germany, which according to its own information is the largest operator of a public hydrogen filling station network in Europe, is building further hydrogen filling stations in the direct vicinity of transportation companies in a demand-oriented manner. In addition, an H2 dispenser can be installed directly at these companies’ own depot if required. The publicly accessible filling stations are operated by H2 MOBILITY, which eliminates investment and operating costs for bus operators. Daimler Buses customers therefore benefit from the services of an experienced provider who ensures operation and a continuous supply of hydrogen. At the same time, the public H2 tank infrastructure will be strengthened and further expanded.

In December 2021, the three leading commercial vehicle manufacturers Daimler Truck, TRATON GROUP and Volvo Group signed the contract to establish a joint venture for the construction and operation of a high-performance public charging network for battery-powered heavy-duty long-haul trucks and coaches in Europe. The joint aim is to initiate and significantly accelerate the development of a public charging infrastructure. The joint venture – Milence – will accelerate the ramp-up of its activities and, above all, the establishment of the charging network in order to be able to offer public charging stations for heavy commercial vehicles with a focus on reliability and good accessibility. Demand for battery electric trucks and coaches is expected to increase rapidly in the coming years. Milence strives for cross-industry collaboration so that charging solutions can be developed according to the needs of transport companies and drivers. The parties initially intend to invest EUR 500 million together in order to build at least 1,700 high-performance performance charging points close to highways as well as at logistic and destination points, within five years from the establishment of the joint venture. The charging points should be operated with green electricity. More information will be available during 2022.

Daimler Truck, the TRATON GROUP and the Volvo Group will own equal shares in the joint venture but continue to be competitors in all other areas. 

Like in Europe, the lack of a publicly available, nationwide electric charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles in the US, especially for long-haul freight operations, remains one of the biggest barriers for widespread deployment of electric trucks. Daimler Truck North America LLC (DTNA), NextEra Energy Resources, LLC and BlackRock Renewable Power (BlackRock) have announced their intention to establish a joint venture to design, develop, install and operate a high-performance, nationwide U.S. charging network for medium- and heavy-duty battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. First charging stations are set to begin construction in 2023. Initial funding is expected to be comprised of approx. $ 650 million (approx. € 580 million) divided equally among the three parties.

In order to be able to assist truck customers with all manner of questions concerning planning, application and implementation processes concerning charging infrastructure, as well as with connection to the electrical network, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has entered into a strategic partnership with Siemens Smart Infrastructure and ENGIE. They fit in perfectly with the aspiration of Mercedes-Benz Trucks to provide fleet operators with more than just vehicle concepts when it comes to electromobility.

Daimler Trucks North America and Portland General Electric work together for a heavy-duty electric truck charging site, called “Electric Island.” Electric Island will help accelerate the development, testing and deployment of zero emissions (tank to wheel) commercial vehicles. The charging site offers eight vehicle charging stations for the charging of electric cars, buses, box vans and semi-trucks. The site can serve as an innovation center, allowing both PGE and DTNA to study energy management, charger use and performance, and, in the case of DTNA, its own vehicles’ charging performance.

In May 2022, Daimler Truck AG became a major anchor shareholder in German high-tech engineering company Manz AG through a capital increase of around ten percent. In addition, in a first step both companies have signed a cooperation agreement on a strategic partnership to establish a pilot line for the production of lithium-ion battery cells and for the assembly of batteries at Daimler Truck’s Mannheim site. Within the framework of this partnership, both companies will pool their expertise and develop further projects for their joint future. The aim is to develop innovative battery technology and associated production processes for trucks and buses.

As part of the partnership, Daimler Truck will set up its own pilot battery cell production facility called “InnoLab Battery” at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim, thus laying an important foundation for future competence in battery technology.

Daimler Truck AG and Gehring Technologies GmbH + Co. KG have signed an agreement in September 2022 on a strategic partnership focusing on building up expertise in process development and prototype construction of commercial vehicle specific electric motors. The strategic partnership with Gehring covers the prototypical construction of so-called "truck-e-fied" e-motors as well as the further development and testing of innovative production processes.

Gehring will also supply equipment for the technical center, which is being set up at the Gaggenau plant, Daimler Truck's competence center for electric drive components.

Accelera by Cummins, the zero-emissions business unit of Cummins Inc., Daimler Truck and PACCAR are partnering to accelerate and localize battery cell production and the battery supply chain in the United States. The planned joint venture will manufacture battery cells for electric commercial vehicles and industrial applications, creating highly desirable U.S. manufacturing jobs in the growing clean technology sector. Total investment is expected to be in the range of $2-3 billion for the 21-gigawatt hour (GWh) factory. The joint venture partners have selected Marshall County, Mississippi, as the future site of advanced battery cell manufacturing for their planned joint venture. The factory is expected to begin producing battery cells in 2027. 

The joint venture will initially focus on the lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery technology family for commercial battery-electric trucks. The LFP battery cells produced by the joint venture will be able to offer several advantages compared to other battery chemistries, including lower cost, longer life, and enhanced safety, without the need for nickel and cobalt raw materials. The planned joint venture between Accelera, Daimler Truck and PACCAR was announced in September 2023 and will create scale to deliver cost effective and differentiated battery cell technology that supports the adoption of electric vehicles for medium- and heavy-duty commercial transportation in the United States. 

Daimler Buses and battery systems expert BMZ Poland, a key entity in the BMZ Holding group, have entered into a strategic partnership in April 2024 for the development and supply of the next generation of e-bus batteries. Together with Daimler Buses, BMZ will further develop the existing battery technology specifically for the requirements of electrically powered buses. The new battery generation NMC4 – succeeding the current NMC3 technology – will combine high energy density, resulting in a longer range for e-buses, with an ultra-long cycle life. Customers of Daimler Buses will benefit from NMC4 batteries from 2026.