Mahle has received a series order from engine manufacturer Deutz for the development and supply of components for hydrogen engines. These are so-called power cell units, i.e. units consisting of the piston, the piston ring pack and the piston pin, which Deutz plans to use in stationary hydrogen engines for the first time at the end of 2024. Further applications in the off-highway sector, such as agricultural and construction machinery, are planned, said the company.

“We see hydrogen as an important building block for sustainable mobility, especially in the commercial vehicle sector. This project with Deutz is a milestone with a lighthouse effect because it shows that there are other technological levers besides electrification to achieve climate neutrality,” Arnd Franz, chairman of the Mahle management board and CEO, said.

For use in the hydrogen engine, the company said it adapted and further developed the aluminum piston and piston ring pack from classical diesel technology.

“To achieve the climate protection goals, we must exploit the potential of all available powertrain technologies,” said Franz. Mahle is therefore committed to technological diversity as part of its corporate strategy: In addition to e-mobility, including fuel cells and the associated thermal management, Mahle considers the climate-neutral green combustion engine, which runs on non-fossil fuels such as hydrogen, to be one of the future technologies for a sustainable powertrain mix.

As early as March 2021, the technology group opened a new test center for hydrogen applications on 1,400 square meters of space at its Stuttgart location.