MAN to introduce hTGX with hydrogen combustion engine

MAN will introduce a new truck powered by a hydrogen combustion engine to provide an alternative zero-emission solution to electric.

The hTGX will initially be offered in a small series of around 200 units for customers in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland and selected non-European countries as early as 2025. 

It will serve as an alternative zero-emission drive variant for special applications in areas without sufficient charging infrastructure or for markets where sufficient hydrogen is already available.

The MAN hTGX offers high payloads and a maximum range of up to 372 miles in its initially offered 6x2 and 6x4 axle variants. The H45 hydrogen combustion engine used has an output of 520hp and a torque of 2500Nm at 900-1,300rpm. 

Friedrich Baumann, executive board member of MAN Truck & Bus, said: "We are continuing to focus on battery-electric vehicles to decarbonise road freight transport. These currently have clear advantages over other drive concepts in terms of energy efficiency and operating and energy costs.

"However, trucks powered by hydrogen combustion engines are a useful addition for special applications and markets. We anticipate that we will be able to best serve the vast majority of our customers' transport applications with battery-powered trucks.

"For special applications, hydrogen combustion or, in the future, fuel cell technology is a suitable supplement. The hydrogen combustion engine H45 is based on the proven D38 diesel engine and is produced at the engine and battery plant in Nuremberg. The use of familiar technology enables us to enter the market at an early stage and thus provides a decisive impetus for the ramp-up of the hydrogen infrastructure. With the hTGX, we have now added an attractive product to our zero-emission portfolio."