Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks division has been conducting intensive testing on a prototype Unimog implement carrier equipped with a hydrogen combustion engine. This is part of an ongoing research project to evaluate hydrogen internal combustion as a potential future powertrain solution alongside battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
The Unimog test vehicle is based on the U 430 model, which has been converted with a hydrogen-powered gas engine, tanks, safety systems and instrumentation. During the development phase so far, engineers were able to test the prototype in real-world operating conditions. This included a test drive on a closed section of highway in Germany where data was gathered while mowing verges, accelerating, and refuelling at a public station.
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The prototype uses four 700-bar pressure tanks holding 14kg of gaseous hydrogen stored behind the cab. The hydrogen combustion engine delivers around 290 horsepower and 1000 Nm of torque, running quieter than an equivalent diesel. The emissions produced are simply water in the form of steam.
Mercedes-Benz is exploring hydrogen combustion as a potential zero-emissions solution for applications where battery-electric or fuel-cell systems are not optimal. The company sees it as a viable option for speciality commercial vehicles from its Special Trucks division that require high power output but have constraints on space for large battery packs.
The development project brings together policymakers, academia and industry partners. It is funded by the German government under its goals to advance the decarbonization of commercial transportation. Mercedes-Benz aims to collect sufficient data through prototype testing to determine the readiness of hydrogen combustion for series-production vehicles.
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The company plans further refinements to the technology over the remaining six months of the research timeline. Engineers want to optimise the system for increased hydrogen storage capacity and operational duration. Overall, the successful real-world tests represent an important milestone in assessing hydrogen internal combustion engines. The findings will shape how Mercedes-Benz deploys this zero-emission capable powertrain in future speciality commercial vehicles.
