Dubbed the H2-ICE, the project utilised a Mercedes-Benz Arego 4×2 truck, and features Cummins’ B6.7H hydrogen ICE, which the company says could offer a range of up to 500km (310 miles).

Rated at 290hp (216kW), the proof-of-concept installation features a 700-bar pressure hydrogen storage system to fuel the 6.7-litre hydrogen engine.

Alison Trueblood, Executive Director for On-highway Business Europe at Cummins, said, “While Cummins hydrogen fuel cells offer a highly effective solution for specific applications within the truck industry, out hydrogen engines can also help accelerate fleet decarbonisation by offering a lower cost basis using more familiar engine technology.

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

The concept truck will be revealed at the IAA Transportation exhibition on September 20 to 25, in Hanover, Germany.

In May (2022), Cummins unveiled the follow on from its 6.7-litre hydrogen ICE in the form of its 15-litre X15H hydrogen engine, which will also be on display in Hanover.

Read more: Cummins unveil 15-litre ‘zero-carbon’ hydrogen ICE

Leveraging on Cummins’ fuel agnostic platform, the engines benefit from a common-base architecture and low-to-zero carbon fuel capability with advanced diesel, natural gas, and hydrogen variants.

Because of the practical nature of the technology, hydrogen ICEs can help accelerate decarbonisation making it a very relevant topic,’ says Cummins

One trending hydrogen-based technology that continues to send shockwaves throughout the industry is hydrogen internal combustion engines (ICEs). The innovative solution could be a bridge between fossil fuel engines and hydrogen fuel and present an almost seamless transition to zero-emission mobility.

Hydrogen already boasts significant ranges between refuel times in comparison to battery-electric vehicles, however with fuel cell development often seen as expensive, hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engines cut out significant costs associated with this.

To learn more about its popularity in the market and why among our readers at H2 View it is gaining such popularity, H2 View spoke exclusively with Jim Nebergall, General Manager of Hydrogen Engines at Cummins.

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