Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks has developed a Unimog with a hydrogen combustion engine. The prototype is currently in test use for mowing.
Unimog test vehicle with hydrogen combustion engine
Mercedes-Benz
The H2 prototype from Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks is based on the Unimog U 430 implement carrier and is powered by a gas engine specially converted to run on hydrogen and equipped with safety and monitoring systems and measurement technology. The engine produces 231 kW (290 hp) and offers a maximum torque of 1,000 Nm. The wheelbase and platform length were dimensioned so that four hydrogen tanks could be mounted behind the driver's cab. The 700-bar high-pressure tanks hold a total of around 14 kg of gaseous hydrogen. The prototype was equipped with a front mower with two mowing heads.
The H2 Unimog was developed as part of the "Hydrogen combustion engine" (WaVe) project launched in 2021. Mercedes-Benz and the project partners want to use the test vehicle to investigate whether the hydrogen combustion engine could be a useful addition to battery-electric and fuel cell-based drives. Initial results from the WaVe project show that the hydrogen combustion engine could be a sensible solution for special applications.