DACHSER will become the first company in the world to operate Daimler Truck’s new Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 Truck, marking an important step in the real-world evaluation of hydrogen fuel-cell technology for long-distance freight.
Starting at the end of December 2026, DACHSER will begin using the first of three Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 truck tractors equipped with liquid hydrogen technology. Two additional trucks of the same model are expected to follow by mid-2027. The vehicles will be based at DACHSER’s Karlsruhe logistics center in Germany and will operate primarily in long-distance transport, where the company and Daimler Truck expect the technology to demonstrate its range and operational flexibility.
The three trucks are part of a small series of 100 Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 Trucks that Daimler Truck plans to deliver to selected customers beginning at the end of December 2026. Volume production is scheduled to begin in the early 2030s.
For commercial transportation, the deployment reflects the multi-technology path many fleets and OEMs are taking toward lower-emission freight. Battery-electric trucks are already moving into daily operations across regional and some long-haul applications, while hydrogen fuel-cell trucks are being evaluated for routes where long range, high payload, and shorter refueling times could provide operational advantages.
“In logistics, if we want to sustainably reduce greenhouse gases and air pollutants from long-distance transport and, in the long term, replace diesel trucks completely, what we need is powerful and efficient zero-emission vehicles,” said Stefan Hohm, chief development officer at DACHSER. “Development work on battery-electric trucks has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years. These vehicles are reliable, they operate very well, and some volume-produced vehicles now even have a range of over 500 kilometers. But getting ahold of sufficient grid connection capacity for them remains a major challenge.”
DACHSER currently has more than 190 electric trucks in daily use across its network, including multiple Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 vehicles. Hohm said fuel-cell trucks using liquid hydrogen could eventually complement the company’s e-truck fleet, particularly in operations requiring longer distances or short refueling windows.
The Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 Truck uses a fuel cell from cellcentric to generate electrical energy from hydrogen, which then powers the truck’s electric motors. The vehicle is fueled by liquid hydrogen, which has a higher energy density than gaseous hydrogen. Daimler Truck says the technology enables ranges well above 1,000 kilometers (~620 miles) with high payload capability, while refueling can be completed in about 10 to 15 minutes.
The Karlsruhe deployment is also tied closely to available fueling infrastructure. DACHSER’s Karlsruhe logistics center is located roughly 20 miles from the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth, where liquid hydrogen refueling infrastructure is available. The trucks will be integrated into DACHSER’s existing system traffic, including routes to other European countries.
That operational setup is significant for the broader market. Hydrogen trucks face many of the same early deployment questions that battery-electric trucks have had to answer: where the vehicles fit best, how infrastructure is built around real duty cycles, and whether performance, cost, uptime, and fueling access can support scaled commercial use. By placing the trucks into scheduled logistics operations, DACHSER and Daimler Truck will be able to evaluate the technology in practical freight service rather than isolated demonstrations.
Daimler Truck introduced the NextGenH2 Truck as the next development step in its hydrogen truck program. The vehicle carries forward core technology from the earlier Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck while adding more compact packaging, technical safety updates, and series components from the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 600, including the integrated e-axle, ProCabin, Multimedia Cockpit Interactive 2, and updated safety assistance systems.
For fleets, the DACHSER deployment underscores that hydrogen is being positioned as a complement to battery-electric trucking rather than a replacement for it. Battery-electric trucks continue to gain traction in regional, urban, return-to-base, and some longer-range applications, while hydrogen fuel-cell trucks are being developed for demanding long-haul operations where range and refueling time are critical.
The next phase for hydrogen trucking will depend on more than vehicle technology. Fuel availability, hydrogen cost, infrastructure investment, maintenance readiness, and fleet integration will all determine how quickly the technology can move beyond small-series deployments. DACHSER’s use of the NextGenH2 Truck will provide an early look at how liquid hydrogen fuel-cell trucks perform in a logistics network that already includes battery-electric vehicles.
