Mahle begins testing heavy-duty hydrogen combustion powertrains

Mahle Powertrain has entered the testing phase of a key project that it says will drive hydrogen fuel use in existing heavy-duty truck engines.

Project Cavendish, a £9.8 million UK Government-funded programme facilitated by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), aims to deliver fast-to-market solutions and a clear upgrade path to enable hydrogen combustion using current platforms and infrastructure, thereby accelerating the decarbonisation of the haulage sector.

Crucial to the project is the use of Mahle Powertrain’s flexible testing facility in Northampton, combined with the company’s experience with alternative fuels such as hydrogen and methanol.

“Hydrogen combustion engines (H2-ICE) are well-suited to heavy-duty, long-distance applications that are hard to electrify. Its use allows industry to take advantage of years of development and investment as a means to accelerate the transition towards net zero,” said Jonathan Hall, Mahle Powertrain head of research and advanced engineering.

“Our facilities have been designed for this type of advanced work with a dedicated hydrogen supply, in-house developed monitoring and safety systems, and high-torque dynamometers that are ideally suited to the testing and calibration phase of this project.”

Project Cavendish draws on the experience of a number of partners including PHINIA, BorgWarner, Cambustion, Hartridge and Mahle Powertrain to develop novel fuel-injection systems and supporting turbocharging technology that can be ready for high-volume production in time to meet EUVII/US27 legislation.