MAHLE awarded contract from MAN Truck & Bus for hydrogen powered truck

Press Release, 19 November 2024

MAHLE has secured a contract in the area of sustainable mobility. Commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus has commissioned MAHLE to supply components for the hydrogen engine of its “MAN hTGX” truck. The vehicle was recently crowned winner of the Truck Innovation Award 2025. The direct-injection engine with 6 cylinders has 16.8 L displacement and produces 383 kW power output. It will be equipped with the hydrogen power cell unit of the Stuttgart-based automotive supplier, consisting of piston, piston rings, piston pin and cylinder liner. Further components from MAHLE will also be used in the valve train. MAN plans to build around 200 units of its truck, classified as a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV), for selected markets from 2025. The use of hydrogen in the combustion engine is an important lever for decarbonization, especially in the commercial vehicle sector. In addition to electrification, sustainable combustion engines that run on renewable fuels are an important strategic field for the MAHLE Group.

“MAHLE has successfully transferred its one hundred years of expertise in engine components into the future. Our state-of-the-art pistons and other parts make the internal combustion engine fit for hydrogen and thus climate-neutral,” said Dr. Roger Busch, member of the MAHLE Management Committee and Head of Sales. “Today, we are able to fulfill our customers’ expectations in terms of performance, efficiency and service life.”

MAHLE has succeeded in developing its engine components to meet the specific requirements of hydrogen operation. The tests at the company’s hydrogen test center in Stuttgart back up the high maturity level and already convincing suitability for series production of modern hydrogen engine technology. Thanks to the MAHLE hydrogen power cell unit, in particular the oil consumption of the motor and the so-called blow-by, i.e. the leakage of hydrogen gas into the crankcase, can be reduced to a minimum. This enables a robust and failure-free operation of the motor.

Hydrogen is the renewable fuel with the greatest potential for the decarbonization of the transportation sector today. MAHLE is well positioned with components and profound systems expertise for hydrogen engines as well as fuel cell powertrains in order to actively shape the climate transformation in the transportation sector.

The automotive supplier is currently working on almost 30 hydrogen engine projects for customers in the on- and off-highway sector. With the current contract from MAN Truck & Bus, another vehicle manufacturer is now going into series production using MAHLE components. Further series launches with other customers are planned to follow in 2025.