years and, instead of building its own systems, opted for a partnership model. “The road freight transport sector re- quires di erent drive solutions for di er- ent applications,” said Andreas Gorbach, the member of the Daimler Truck board responsible for truck technology. “Hy- drogen can be used to power both fuel cells and internal combustion engines. By working with Keyou, we are partner- ing with a specialized company to bring hydrogen combustion technology to market quickly and e ciently.” Daimler Truck said it believes trucks with hydrogen ICE powertrains are ro- bust and have lower system complexity compared with fuel cells, making them particularly suited for applications with high payload requirements. In comparison, the truck maker sees fuel cell technology offering advantages in demanding longhaul operations, not- ing ranges of more than 1,000 kilome- ters are possible with minimal and speedy fueling. German logistics group Dachser will be the first customer to put production models of the Mercedes-Benz Next- GenH2 hydrogen fuel cell electric tractor on the road in December. Dachser Group ranks No. 35 on the T T Top 50 list of the larg- est global freight companies. NextGenH2 has a range of more than 1,000 kilometers when both liquid hy- drogen tanks are fueled up. A liquid hy- drogen refueling technology developed by Daimler Truck and its partner Linde, known as sLH2, allows the truck to be fully fueled within 10-15 minutes. Linde (North America) ranks No. 29 on the TT Top 100 list of the largest pri- vate carriers in North America. A total of 100 NextGenH2 trucks will be built at Mercedes-Benz’s flagship Wörth plant by the end of 2026 as part of the first small-series production run for the model. Daimler Truck drew the curtain back on the NextGenH2 in January, the sec- ond generation of its GenH2 hydrogen fuel cell tractor. Series production of the fuel cell trucks is targeted for the early 2030s. The German company said it supports the development of hydrogen refueling stations capable of dispensing both gas- eous and liquid hydrogen, allowing all common hydrogen forms to be offered at a single station, as is the case for gas- oline and diesel stations. The Keyou HICE.40 will use gaseous hydrogen, and the NextGenH2 will use liquid hydrogen. In North America, meanwhile, Freightliner is offering its flagship Cas- cadia tractor with a Cummins X15N en- gine fueled by natural gas. Cummins is also expected to offer an internal combustion engine fueled by hydrogen as part of its High Efficiency, Lower Emissions, Multiple Fuels pro- gram. The engine maker is set to offer non-diesel options of the X10 engine. Freightliner and Western Star will of- fer six Cummins engines in 2027, includ- ing the X10.
the engine options the world’s largest truck maker will o er in 2027. The other four options are diesel, battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell electric and internal combustion engines fueled by natural gas. The move by Freightliner and Western Star’s parent company also kick-starts competition with Volvo Group’s Cespira hydrogen ICE powertrain joint venture.
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In one of the clearest policy signals for manufacturers and fleets, Trump said he has moved to dismantle what he called an “insane electric vehicle mandate.” (Mack Trucks via LinkedIn)
mittee members and a three-generational family of Mack Trucks employees. In one of the clearest policy signals for manufacturers and fleets, Trump said he has moved to dismantle what he called an “insane electric vehicle mandate,” and specifically targeted a set of emissions standards he said would have “crushed Mack Trucks.” “I terminated … fuel emissions stan- dards that would have crushed Mack Trucks here,” he said, addressing Roy di- rectly. “Your company would be crushed if I didn’t do that. … It was the most insane environmental regulations ever conceived of by man.” Trump argued that relaxing those rules would allow OEMs to sell trucks “for much less money,” preserve diesel and hy- brid options alongside electric power- trains and keep production in U.S. plants rather than shifting EV output overseas. “If you like electric cars, I think that’s great,” he said. “But you have to have the right to buy a regular … If you want to have gas, if you want to have a hybrid, you can have whatever the hell you want.” Roy was the first speaker, welcoming supporters to the LVO plant and saying it is emerging as a centerpiece of American manufacturing, showcasing a multiyear investment push, steady job growth and strong local and federal support. He also highlighted more than $400 million in- vested over the past decade to expand and upgrade the facility, plus more than $1 bil- lion invested recently in a new lineup of advanced trucks built at the plant. The Lehigh Valley Operations facility produces a range of models designed for diverse customers and sectors, including the Pioneer longhaul truck, the Anthem regional-haul model, the Granite construc- tion truck and the Keystone — a new o er- ing named for Pennsylvania. The plant’s expansion has had immedi- ate local economic e ects, including the recall of more than 150 employees over the past year and optimism for a strong second half of 2026. Local lawmakers and federal o cials speaking at the event framed these devel- opments as part of a broader resurgence in American manufacturing, pointing to new federal defense appropriations and other investments that support domestic production at facilities such as Mack Trucks’ Lehigh Valley plant.
Trump visits Mack plant, uses rally to promote tari s, energy policy By Michael Freeze Features Editor MACUNGIE, Pa. — A campaign-style visit to Mack Trucks’ Lehigh Valley Opera- tions plant turned into a policy-heavy rally as President Donald Trump tied his eco- nomic and energy agenda to the fortunes of heavy-duty truck builders, auto workers and Pennsylvania’s manufacturing base. Speaking to a crowd of employees, local o cials and political allies June 23, the president repeatedly framed Mack Trucks as a symbol of domestic industrial strength and his trade approach. “Today I’m especially honored to be here at the place that builds some of the toughest vehicles on the road, Mack Trucks,” Trump said. “All of them Ameri- can roads will be filled with American trucks very shortly.” He also used the visit to defend his long- standing tari policies, arguing they fueled new factory construction and protected domestic truck and auto manufacturing. He cited 25% tari s on foreign automo- biles and medium- and heavy-duty trucks, along with 50%-100% on foreign steel. “How don’t you pay a tari ?” Trump said. “You build your factory here and you hire American workers. It’s quite simple.” As a nod to Mack Trucks, Trump repeat- edly referenced an internal pursuit of a 15,000-truck contract, using it to under- score the stakes of domestic production and pricing pressure. “They’re trying to get a contract for 15,000 trucks,” he told the rally crowd. “15,000 trucks, that’s a lot of trucks. “If your price is right … maybe we’ll get it down a little bit.” Trump blended contract talks, cam- paign messaging and local politics. He urged Mack leadership and union repre- sentatives “to ease up just a little bit” on labor contract negotiations. The event leaned heavily on Mack’s workforce and its union leadership as sur- rogates for Trump’s manufacturing- focused platform, recognizing Mack Trucks President Stephen Roy, UAW com-
Daimler Truck’s existing vehicle and engine variants will provide the basis for the partnership. Keyou will be responsi- ble for the hydrogen conversion, with the Munich-based company’s service providers adapting vehicles and en- gines. Mercedes-Benz Actros L 1848 tractor units and engines manufactured in Mannheim, Germany, with the existing 12.8-liter engine platform will be the first trucks Keyou and its service part- ners convert. The resulting tractor, the Keyou HICE.40, is expected to achieve a range of up to 650 kilometers or just more than 400 miles. Longer term, the port fuel-injection system with 350-bar compressed hydro- gen is expected to be adapted to addi- tional Daimler Truck models. Daimler Truck said it had been explor- ing hydrogen combustion for several
The Keyou HICE.40 is expected to achieve a range of up to 650 kilometers or just more than 400 miles. (Daimler Truck)
Transport Topics • July 2026, Issue 1 25
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