When it comes to decarbonising heavy transport, the sector has long been caught between ambition and practicality. Battery-electric trucks hold promise for shorter, urban routes, but for long-haul freight, the challenge is different: reliability, range and refuelling must be on par with diesel to make the transition viable. Daimler Truck’s latest milestone with its Mercedes-Benz GenH2 hydrogen trucks suggests that this vision is moving from concept to commercial reality.
In just over a year, five GenH2 trucks have collectively surpassed 225,000 kilometres in customer trials. The vehicles were tested not in controlled environments, but on the road with major operators including Amazon, Air Products, Holcim, Ineos Inovyn and Wiedmann & Winz. They were put to work on real logistics routes, where delays cost money and performance cannot falter.
What stands out is not simply the distance achieved, but the consistency with which it was achieved. With ranges exceeding 1,000 kilometres per fill and refuelling times of 10–15 minutes, these hydrogen trucks delivered an experience familiar to drivers and fleet managers accustomed to diesel, while eliminating tailpipe emissions. This is the crux of why hydrogen matters: it preserves the operational model logistics companies rely on, while unlocking a pathway to net zero.
The significance extends beyond Daimler. These trials highlight the maturing readiness of hydrogen as a cornerstone of heavy-duty decarbonisation. Crucially, they underline that technology cannot succeed in isolation; infrastructure development, supply chains and cross-industry collaboration must evolve in parallel.The involvement of companies from diverse sectors shows a growing alignment between vehicle manufacturers, energy providers and end-users, a coalition essential for scaling adoption. The vehicles were tested not in controlled environments, but on the road with major operators including Amazon, Air Products, Holcim, Ineos Inovyn and Wiedmann & Winz. They were put to work on real logistics routes—where delays cost money and performance cannot falter.
The industry now faces a choice. Do we wait for perfect conditions before moving forward, or do we build momentum through initiatives such as Daimler’s trials, accepting that the infrastructure challenge will be solved step by step? The evidence from these 225,000 kilometres suggests the latter. The trucks have proven that the concept works. What’s needed now is collective investment to ensure that hydrogen is as accessible as the ambition it represents.
Hydrogen is no longer a futuristic bet; it is a practical solution emerging on Europe’s roads. The GenH2’s journey so far is more than a technical demonstration; it is a call to action for policymakers, energy suppliers and logistics leaders alike. The future of freight will not be defined by a single technology, but hydrogen has shown it deserves a central role.
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