The BMW Group has acquired two zero-emission fuel cell trucks as part of a pilot project under its European H2Haul programme, which aims to promote hydrogen power in freight transport.

BMW announced last week that the two vehicles would run between Leipzig, Landsberg and Nuremberg, Germany, to trial the practicality of hydrogen fuel technology, while two state-of-the-art hydrogen fuelling stations are being built in Leipzig and Hormersdorf.

The fuelling stations will allow for rapid refuelling with large quantities of hydrogen, which is crucial to the continuous use of fuel cell trucks in the logistics sector. The BMW Group is implementing the H2Haul project in cooperation with Iveco, DHL and TEAL Mobility.

BMW Group head of production network and logistics, Michael Nikolaides, said the company’s openness to technology was reflected in its transport logistics.

“In global logistics, it is important to select the right means of transport in order to operate in a future-oriented and efficient manner,” Nikolaides said.

“For the first time, hydrogen-powered trucks will now be used in serial operation for German automobile production. We have been working with our partners for several years to implement this pilot fleet. This project is an important milestone as we gain experience in serial operation and continue to advance this important technology,” he said.

BMW Group added that the H2Haul project aimed to test hydrogen trucks with fuel cell drivetrains under realistic conditions and to investigate the important contribution they can make to decarbonising heavy traffic. This will then pave the way for the commercialisation of fuel cell trucks in Europe.

Funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, a total of 16 trucks will run in various European countries, including the two IVECO S-eWay Fuel Cell trucks operated within Germany by BMW Group Logistics.

The findings of the BMW Group when running the two trucks will help develop the technology to market maturity and pave the way for a wide-scale introduction in the road freight sector.

Short refuelling times and longer ranges mean hydrogen trucks can represent an important addition to E-trucks, which are also in use at the BMW Group, on long routes.

Participation in the H2Haul project, with the practical use of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in long-distance and heavy transport, is part of the company’s strategy to reduce logistics emissions and a step towards achieving its climate goals on the road to zero-emission transport logistics.