Daimler Buses sends its first coach with hydrogen‑based fuel cell drive on test drives. It calls it "the technology carrier H₂ Coach”. The heart of the 13.9 meter‑long high‑decker S 517 HD is a combination of two hydrogen tanks with a total tank capacity of 46 kilograms and the cellcentric fuel cell unit.
The fuel cell unit with a total output of 300 kW converts the hydrogen into electrical energy, which is converted into mechanical drive energy by the central motor. The electric motor is designed for a continuous output of 320 kW and a maximum output of 400 kW, with a torque of 1,368 Nm and 2,470 Nm respectively. The integrated battery pack serves to temporarily store the electrical energy and to provide situational power support in order to operate the fuel cell with optimum efficiency. The technology carrier is developed at Daimler Buses in Neu‑Ulm. The site is the competence center for coaches of all drive types. A total of around 3,800 employees work at Daimler Buses in Neu‑Ulm. Their latest innovation is the Setra S 517 HD H₂ which, according to Daimler, "paves the way for the future of locally emission‑free longer coach travel, in addition to battery‑electric coaches". Daimler Buses plans to have battery‑electric coaches in its portfolio by the end of the decade; with
fuel-cell coaches set to go into series production in the next step. The technology of the H₂ Coach is largely based on the drive components of the Mercedes‑Benz GenH2 fuel cell truck from the Daimler Truck parent company. The range of the H₂ Coach with a full tank is defined as a minimum of 800 kilometres. The S 517 HD converted into an H₂ Coach with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 24.7 tons has been approved as a test vehicle on the basis of the TÜV report, in accordance with Section 19.6 of the German Regulations Authorizing the Use of Vehicles for Road Traffic, which, in addition to the test series on the internal testing grounds of Daimler Buses, also permits test drives on public roads. Together with the Volvo Group, Daimler Truck is pursuing the objective of becoming a world-leading fuel cell manufacturer with the cellcentric joint venture and thus making a decisive contribution to sustainable transportation by 2050.