American engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. will reveal a medium-duty concept truck powered by its B6.7H hydrogen internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) at the upcoming IAA Transportation exhibition in Hanover, Germany.
The proof-of-concept installation is rated 290hp (216kW) and features a 700-bar pressure high-capacity hydrogen storage system. The H2-ICE conversion highlights the opportunity for truck applications across the 10-to-26-tonne gross vehicle weight (GVW) range to operate on zero-carbon hydrogen fuel with a potential operating range of up to 500km, according to Cummins.
“While Cummins hydrogen fuel cells offer a highly effective solution for specific applications within the truck industry, our hydrogen engines can also help accelerate fleet decarbonisation by offering a lower cost basis using more familiar engine technology,” said Alison Trueblood, Cummins’ executive director – on-highway business Europe.
The Cummins H2-ICE project utilised a Mercedes-Benz Atego 4×2 truck, to represent a versatile and widely used vehicle for multi-drop distribution haulage. The hydrogen conversion work does not compromise truck performance, cargo capacity or payload. The substitution of the diesel engine with the 6.7-litre hydrogen engine and integration with the existing driveline highlights the ability of H2-ICE to offer a zero-carbon solution for fleets based on a lower cost and a more easily deployable technology path.
Technical development work on the H2-ICE concept truck was undertaken by the Cummins team at the Gross-Gerau facility in Germany, working in collaboration with vehicle engineering specialists, the EDAG Group.
“The introduction of H2-ICE powered trucks over the shorter-term can help develop the hydrogen fuel infrastructure to bridge the way forward for the wider adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles. In this way, hydrogen engines and fuel cells are complementary technologies, working together to drive the hydrogen economy forward,” added Trueblood.
The B6.7H hydrogen engine’s performance is equivalent to that of a similar displacement diesel engine and compatible with the same transmissions, drivelines and cooling packages. A further benefit of the B6.7H is significantly quieter running than a diesel.
“Cummins continues to receive strong global market interest in H2-ICE,” added Jim Nebergall, Cummins general manager – hydrogen engines. Momentum is growing for this practical decarbonisation technology and I am sure this will be further reinforced at the IAA expo with our H2-ICE truck conversion set to attract major attention.”
The B6.7H hydrogen engine will be joined on the Cummins display at IAA by the X15H hydrogen engine, which the company says has the potential to bring zero-carbon hydrogen power to long distance trucks of up to 44 tonne GVW, with a top rating of 530hp (395kW) and peak torque of 2600Nm. A heavy-duty truck featuring a high-capacity hydrogen fuel storage system and powered by the X15H is estimated to offer a potential operating range of more than 1000km.
