DACHSER puts its first hydrogen trucks into service

DACHSER is moving forward with practical tests of zero‑emission drive technologies for trucks. In 2023, the company plans to put two hydrogen fuel-cell (FCEV) trucks into service in Germany.

In Magdeburg, DACHSER is scheduled to start operating a Hyundai Xcient hydrogen fuel-cell truck in early 2023. The vehicle, which has a total permissible weight of 27 metric tons and offers 18 pallet spaces, has a range of up to 400 kilometers, which means it can be used in two‑shift operation. The truck will be driven by professional drivers who are completing their training at DACHSER this year. While the FCEV truck is tested in regional distribution to the Magdeburg area by day, by night it will be driving to DACHSER's branch in Berlin-Schönefeld in system traffic. For nighttime operations, the zero-emission vehicle will be equipped with a tandem swap-body trailer. Facilities for the truck to refuel with hydrogen will be available near the two DACHSER branches in Magdeburg and Berlin by the time the vehicle is delivered.

DACHSER's contractual partner in this project is H2 Delivery Truck Pool GmbH & Co. KG in Magdeburg. The sales company is part of H2 Green Power & Logistics GmbH, which presented hydrogen-powered commercial vehicle logistics with the Hyundai Xcient FCEV truck at its roadshow, visiting eleven German cities at the end of 2021.

Emission-free in Hamburg

Starting in mid-2023, DACHSER will deploy a Bluepower 1938 FCEV truck from Bremen-based Enginius—a subsidiary of the Faun Group—for city-center deliveries in Hamburg. The truck will complement the DACHSER Emission-Free Delivery concept, which features zero local emissions and is scheduled to launch in Hamburg as early as fall 2022. The Bluepower 1938 has a permissible total weight of 19 metric tons and can transport up to 18 pallets of goods with its fixed box trailer. Its estimated range of 250 kilometers plus reserve is ideal for city-center deliveries and also offers very high recuperation potential. Refueling is to take place at the hydrogen filling station in Hamburg’s HafenCity.

“As part of a study with Kempten University of Applied Sciences, we’ve already determined that there is considerable potential for hydrogen trucks in DACHSER's European groupage network,” explains Stefan Hohm, Chief Development Officer (CDO) and member of the Executive Board at DACHSER. “We’re looking forward to introducing the first hydrogen trucks to the DACHSER network, as this means we’ll be able to gather valuable hands-on experience with them.”

About H2 Green Power & Logistics GmbH:
H2 Green Power & Logistics GmbH distributes green hydrogen by road, rail, pipeline, and inland waterway. It produces this hydrogen in Magdeburg by means of H2 electrolysis, using in‑house green electricity generated from photovoltaics, wind power, and biomass. The company is one of the first market players to provide a complete ecosystem for green hydrogen in CO2‑free commercial vehicle mobility, through either a pay-per-use model or a purchasing network. Later it will also supply large stationary customers. https://www.h2greenpowerlog.de/

About the Faun Group:
The Faun Group is a vehicle manufacturer employing more than 2,000 people worldwide. As one of Europe’s leading suppliers of refuse collection vehicles, sweepers, and hydrogen‑powered commercial vehicles, it operates twelve plants in seven countries. The Faun Group is headquartered in Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Lower Saxony, and closed the previous financial year with revenue of EUR 500 million.

Enginius, a new Faun Group brand, is paving the way for zero-emission trucking with Bluepower. https://www.enginius.de/