Daimler Truck is working with Linde Engineering in Germany to jointly develop sLH2, a new process for handling subcooled liquid hydrogen and potentially extending the range of hydrogen-fueled trucks.

The storage method, compared to gas, allows for higher storage density, greater range, lower costs, better energy efficiency and faster fueling, Daimler says.

A truck with an 80-kg capacity can fuel in just 10-15 minutes and will have a range of 1,000 km or more. The cost to build such a fueling station is reduced by a factor of two to three, the companies add, while operational costs are also substantially lower.

The companies are sharing the technology via an ISO standard to make it widely available.

“Zero-emission transport needs three factors: the right battery-electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, the required infrastructure network and cost parity for ZEVs compared to diesel trucks,” said Andreas Gorbach, member of the board of management of Daimler Truck AG, responsible for truck technology.  

“In terms of vehicles, the transformation is in full swing. In terms of hydrogen infrastructure, we are reaching a major milestone today: With sLH2, hydrogen refueling becomes as convenient as today’s refueling with diesel. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to fuel our Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck for a range of more than 1,000 kilometers. We now call on other OEMs and infrastructure companies to follow our approach and jointly make this technology an industry standard.”