Voith Technology Drives Germany's First Serially Produced H₂ Truck

Heidenheim, Germany- Voith Electrical Drive System (VEDS)., has been an integral part of the first H2 truck (FCEV) to be built in Germany, the Paul Hydrogen Power Truck (PH2P). The energy for the electrical drive is generated in a fuel cell. The truck was developed, built and optimized by Paul Nutzfahrzeuge GmBH., an european special-purpose truck manufacture, and Pepper Motion GmBH., in the electrification of new and used commercial vehicles, in close consultation with Voith.

The PH2P truck was based on a 16 t model from Daimler’s versatile Atego series. The result is a truck that offers optimum road performance and a range of 450 km. The PH2P truck series delivers impressive performance, efficiency and comfort. It is driven by a VEDS with 310 kW continuous power and 410 kW peak power. Moreover, the VEDS is the first electrical drive system to meet all requirements for automotive functional safety as per ISO 26262.

Mr. Bernhard Wasner, CEO of Paul Nutzfahrzeuge, said that, We are working to start a revolution in the hydrogen truck market with solid partners like Voith and Pepper Motion. Forty-five percent of vehicles are expected to be carbon neutral by 2030. You need people with the mindset of, "Let's take a radical approach to getting this done," in these situations.

Mr. Andreas Hager, CEO of Pepper Motion, said that, With the development of our fuel cell drive system, we are pleased to be expediting the mobility transition and decarbonizing the process. Collaborations such as the ones with Voith and Paul Nutzfahrzeuge are the cornerstone of this achievement.

Mr. Manuel Calero, Vice President E-Mobility at Voith, said that, In an effort to accelerate the mobility transformation, we are putting in a lot of effort alongside dependable partners like Pepper Motion and Paul Nutzfahrzeuge. We have added a new chapter to the VEDS success narrative at the same time.

The VEDS is an electrical drive system that Voith provides, complete with all necessary parts, for a range of commercial vehicle applications. The system is made up of a traction inverter, a matching ECU, and an electric motor in one of two power classes: Medium Duty (MD) or Heavy Duty (HD). The VEDS doesn't need any extra installation space in chassis made for combustion engines because of its small design. As a result, the system provides ample flexibility for creating new cars as well as the ideal foundation for retrofitting current ones. The idea works with a variety of battery systems from different manufacturers and can even use fuel cells, as the PH2P truck does, to generate electricity