Together with American diesel powerhouse Cummins, Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) plans to put big hydrogen vehicles on the road. The Cummins fuel cell powertrain’s fourth generation will be integrated into the Freightliner Cascadia by DTNA. The goal is to have the first trucks delivered to chosen customers by 2024.
“Hydrogen-powered cars can clearly accompany battery-powered electric vehicles in expediting our zero-carbon path,” said Rakesh Aneja, DTNA’s e-mobility CEO. We’re looking forward to expanding our cooperation with Cummins to include fuel cell trucks in our future lineup.
After all, Daimler Trucks just formed Cellcentric, a hydrogen joint venture with the Volvo Group, so the new alliance between DTNA and Cummins seems surprising. The objective is to start producing one of Europe’s largest fuel cell series in 2025. Despite parent firm Traton’s unambiguous indication that hydrogen trucks would only be utilized in niches alongside battery-electric trucks, Scania is also studying hydrogen vehicles with Cummins.
“We have long stated that the battery-electric powertrain is the preferred choice for all applications. However, we are open to our customers’ requests for other options such as hydrogen “explains Fredrik Allard, Scania’s Head of E-Mobility. “You see fuel cell trucks in some applications and places where battery-electric cars aren’t ideal.”
By 2024, a total of 20 hydrogen trucks will be manufactured under the HyTrucks initiative. The vehicles will be based on Scania’s battery-electric trucks, but will also have Cummins fuel cell motors and hydrogen tanks. The trucks will then be employed in the port of Rotterdam, where Air Liquide is also a project partner.
