Mercedes-Benz shows off hydrogen truck concept, promises 1,000 km of range

Earlier this week, Mercedes-Benz took all the wraps off the GenH2 Concept, its first semi truck powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology. The car is still a prototype, but a production counterpart should emerge within several years.

The manufacturer describes its latest design study as an extremely heavy-duty truck built to haul substantial amounts of cargo across long distances. Weighing in at a whopping 40 metric tons (88,000+ lbs), it can tow up to 25 metric tons (55,000 lbs) of cargo. Its dual electric motors can produce up to 449 hp (335 kW) and 2,071 Nm (1,527 lb-ft) each, but their actual continuous output is capped at 312 hp (233 kW) and 1,577 Nm (1,163 lb-ft) each for efficiency reasons.

The twin hydrogen reservoirs the GenH2 Concept comes with can hold up to 80 kilograms (176 pounds) of the condensed gas, which is said to be enough for 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of uninterrupted driving.

Watch the video for full details.