First test drive with the hydrogen-powered implement carrier in Wörth
Just one year and 9 months in, the joint project »WaVe« reaches a key milestone of its project schedule: The driving UNIMOG demonstrator with hydrogen engine is presented at Daimler Truck AGs development center in Wörth.
The first engine run following the first rolling trails of the demonstrator were completed in January 2023 at the Kompetenzzentrum für Emissionsfreie Mobilität (KEM) in Mannheim.
The vehicle was completed after it had been transported back to the Daimler Truck plant in Wörth. There the H²-demonstrator was supplemented with a platform, mower, counterweight and tank cover. Therefore now the UNIMOG is ready for driving maneuvers and commissioning of the front mower combination.
The first public introduction of the hydrogen-powered UNIMOG during operations took place on March 17th, 2023 in Wörth. Franziska Cusumano (Head of Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks & Custom Tailored Trucks) opened the event with an insight into the sustainability strategy of Daimler Truck AG, including the dual track strategy. Minister Schmitt then congratulated the project team on the impressive progress been made and referred in particular to the promising potential of a hydrogen combustion engine in the field of work, construction and agricultural machinery, which engines have to cope with significant challenges.
Dr Martin Thul (CEO of CVC) explained in the process from development and elaboration of the project idea, its embedment in the hydrogen strategy for commercial vehicles in the CVC to the successful application for extensive funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The Commercial Vehicle Cluster – Nutzfahrzeug GmbH is responsible for the administrative management. Mr. Thul explicitly emphasized that:
The »WaVe« demonstrator doesn’t compete with battery-electric or fuel cell drives for commercial vehicles. Rather, the hydrogen engine should offer a climate-friendly alternative for special applications in which the available emission-free drives are not suitable solutions because of specific challenges.
Lastly Dr. Günter Pitz (Head of Product Development Powertrain & Engineering MBS) provided an inside into the technical state of the project and the UNIMOG demonstrator.
Detailed information on the progress of the joint project and the next steps can be found in German in the new issue of the free CVC newsletter.