Cummins to reveal zero-carbon concept truck

Cummins has announced it will be pulling the covers off a concept truck at the looming IAA commercial vehicle expo in Germany that is powered by an internal combustion engine that runs on hydrogen fuel.

The innovative machine is based around a Mercedes-Benz Atego model and is powered by Cummins’ B6.7H hydrogen engine.

Unlike most of the hydrogen fuel trucks being developed around the world, the Cummins H2-ICE Concept Truck burns hydrogen gas. It is not a fuel cell truck in which hydrogen and oxygen are fed into a non-combustion fuel cell, the electricity resulting from the catalytic process then powering an electric motor (or motors).

Cummins claims the H2-ICE truck retains the performance and payload of a diesel-powered truck and uses a conventional driveline, offering a lower-cost technology path to fleet decarbonisation.

The H2-ICE conversion is said to suit truck applications across the 10-26 tonnes gross vehicle mass (GVM) range, with a potential operating range of up to 500 kilometres.

Related reading:
Scania and Cummins to build hydrogen trucks
Isuzu and Cummins electric truck collaboration
Cummins in the news for three big reasons

“The H2-ICE Concept Truck on show at IAA puts Cummins at the forefront of this rapidly emerging internal combustion engine technology, using zero-carbon hydrogen fuel,” said Alison Trueblood, Cummins Executive Director – On-Highway Business Europe.

“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,” Trueblood continued.

The Cummins H2-ICE project is based on a Mercedes-Benz Atego 4x2 truck, which is a versatile and widely used vehicle for multi-drop distribution haulage in Europe.

This proof-of-concept installation is rated at 290hp (21kW) and is fuelled by a 700-bar pressure, high-capacity, hydrogen storage system.

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 for the wider adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles,” said Trueblood.

“In this way, hydrogen engines and fuel cells are complementary technologies, working together to drive the hydrogen economy forward.”

The B6.7H hydrogen engine, with 1200Nm peak torque, is an all-new engine platform, featuring cutting-edge technology to enhance power density, reduce friction losses and improve thermal efficiency.

Its performance is claimed 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,” said Jim Nebergall, Cummins General Manager – Hydrogen Engines.

“The excitement is evident in recent intent-to-order announcements from major US on-highway operators Werner Enterprises and Transport Enterprise Leasing (TEL), as well as from agricultural tractor manufacturer Versatile.

“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.”

Cummins’ partnership with hydrogen storage specialist NPROXX resulted in hydrogen tanks operating at a higher 700-bar working pressure, to increase the fuel storage capacity.

The chassis accommodates twin fuel tanks with a total capacity of around 40kg of hydrogen, together with an installation space remaining available for an auxiliary tank of around 10kg.

The hydrogen tanks are structurally reinforced with carbon fibre to provide a superior strength-to-weight ratio.

High-capacity fuel storage, combined with the energy efficiency of direct-injection, learn-burn combustion, enable the B6.7H-powered truck to offer a potential range of up to 500 kilometres, sufficient for most medium-duty trucks and significantly more than an electric-battery powered truck of a comparable size.

A Cummins-designed fuel control module combines the hydrogen fuel refill point, the fuel filtration and fuel distribution system in a single unit with easy access.

Refilling the truck with hydrogen gas fuel is estimated to take just 10 minutes.

The development of H2-ICE technology expands Cummins carbon-free technology portfolio, adding to the company’s capability in hydrogen fuel cell power, battery electric systems, renewable natural gas powertrains, e-powertrains and green hydrogen production from PEM electrolysers.

The B6.7H hydrogen engine will be joined on the Cummins display at IAA by the new X15H hydrogen engine, offering the potential to bring zero-carbon hydrogen power to long-distance trucks of up to 44 tonnes GCM, 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 have a potential operating range of over 1000 kilometres.

The next generation 15-litre follows the 6.7-litre engine in being derived from Cummins fuel-agnostic platform, offering the benefit of a common-base architecture and low-to-zero carbon fuel capability, with advanced diesel, natural gas and hydrogen variants.

Running from September 20 to 25, Trucksales will have a team at the IAA – the world’s largest road transport show – to cover all the innovations. It’s the first IAA since the COVID-19 pandemic, so there’s a backlog of new equipment to cover. Rest assured we’ll be busy keeping you up to date.