Hydrogen Freight Truck Engines
Daimler Truck & KEYOU Build Hydrogen Combustion Engines for Trucks
Adam Harrie — June 23, 2026
Daimler Truck and KEYOU GmbH formed a partnership to bring hydrogen combustion engine trucks to market by 2027, with KEYOU responsible for converting Daimler's existing Mercedes-Benz Actros L 1848 tractor units and 12.8-liter engine platforms to run on hydrogen. The resulting KEYOU HICE.40 tractor unit is designed for a 40-ton gross vehicle weight and is expected to deliver up to 650 kilometers of range using 350-bar compressed hydrogen technology.
The collaboration complements Daimler Truck's existing battery-electric and fuel cell strategies, offering a robust, lower-complexity option for high-payload freight applications. Hydrogen combustion engines require minimal adaptation to existing vehicle architecture, enabling cost-efficient implementation using established industrial manufacturing infrastructure.
The partnership shows how hydrogen combustion technology could scale alongside electrification, offering heavy-duty operators a near-term option for cutting emissions without waiting for slower-developing infrastructure.
