Slovakia’s first hydrogen truck: The “M&I RH120R” hits the road

When someone says Slovakia what do you think of? Stonking great big Gothic castles, wild bears, famously not being one half of Czechoslovakia anymore…

Heavy-duty hydrogen trucks probably aren’t the first thing that springs to mind. But that might be about to change.

Slovakia is already a powerhouse in European car manufacturing – they’re the world’s largest producer of cars per capita, in fact. Volkswagen, Stellantis and Jaguar Land Rover all have bases there.

Now, the landlocked Slavic state is churning out a new vehicle – a vehicle with a name that sounds like it could belong on the back of a microwave, orrr a Cold War-era fighter jet.

That new vehicle is called the M&I RH120R.

It’s a new hydrogen-powered heavy-duty truck made by the boffins from the equally catchy-sounding “Mobility & Innovation Production” (that’s MIP for short).

In comprehensible terms, they’ve made a new 45-tonne hydrogen-powered truck that has passed the EU’s stringent homologation tests with flying colours – becoming Slovakia’s first certified hydrogen truck. Marvellous. Or should I say úžasné.

The M&I RH120R is built on the trusty Ford Trucks F-MAX truck platform, combining hydrogen fuel cells, electric motors, and traction batteries – all promising serious range, hefty payloads, and, most importantly, no dinosaur juice in the fuel tank.

And no, this isn’t some experimental prototype confined to a tech lab either, this 45-tonne bruiser has all the credentials to play in the big leagues of heavy haulage.

The hydrogen-electric powertrain

Trucks live or die on three fronts: range, weight and pulling power. So MIP’s answer? A dual-system drive delivering an eyebrow-raising 734 bhp and 2,500 Nm of torque, thanks to a “DANA TM4 Sumo HV 2500 6-P” electric motor paired with Eaton’s 4-speed heavy-duty gearbox.

There seems to be a theme with naming here…

Power is sourced from a Shanghai-built REFIRE Prisma XII+ hydrogen fuel cell that chucks out 117 kW (or 157 bhp in old money), upgradeable to 180 kW or a 200 kW monster if you’re hauling something really heavy – or just showing off.

Feeding the fuel cell are four 12 kg hydrogen tanks from NPROXX, built from carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers and pressurised to the contemporary car-standard of 700 bar.

Range? Well you can go eastbound and down for 600-750 km (372-466 miles) on hydrogen alone, plus 120 km (75 miles) of emergency battery-only power, courtesy of 122 kWh Durapower traction batteries.

And if you’re thinking about downtime, it’s compatible with CCS2 charging too. So you can nicely tap into the leccy charging infrastructure if you run out of hydrogen.

A hydrogen truck built to work

MIP has lined up Metrans and Waberer’s – two of Europe’s heavy logistics giants – for real-world testing and potential fleet integration. If it can survive their punishing schedules, it will survive anything.

This isn’t just an engineering exercise either, it’s a commercially-viable truck designed for people who actually make a living moving cargo. Though we don’t have any official pricing information just yet.

It’s about ease of adoption: the same frame and dimensions as the diesel F-MAX, and a driving experience familiar enough to keep drivers comfortable, yet advanced enough to future-proof fleets.

Truck manufacturing collaboration

MIP didn’t go it alone. This truck exists thanks to a collaboration of industry specialists:

• Durapower: Supplied battery systems – the first for a 44-tonne hydrogen truck in Europe.
• NPROXX: Developed the 700-bar Type 4 hydrogen tanks.
• TÜV SÜD Czech: Guided the certification process, ensuring compliance with EU standards.
• REFIRE Group: Provided the fuel cell system, pushing hydrogen-electric performance to the next level.
• EATON: Designed the heavy-duty 4-speed electric transmission.

The result being; a fully homologated, regulation-ready hydrogen truck with the credentials to back up the hype.

What the industry has to say

The project’s leaders were understandably proud, with Pavel Čulík, Managing Director, MIP saying: “The first hydrogen truck to pass homologation tests in Europe is proof of what human ingenuity can achieve when combined with the power of teamwork.

“This unique project would not have been possible without the dedication and extraordinary effort of everyone involved.”

János Onódi, CEO of MIP went on to say: “We’ve set new standards in zero-emission heavy transport… Slovakia has talented people who can not only make but also develop top-quality products.”

Emrah Duman, Vice President of Ford Trucks, who supplied to platform, said: “Our vision is to create value with the most efficient transportation solutions… We see our collaboration with MIP as a valuable opportunity.”

Hydrogen skeptics love to point out that fuel cell trucks are stuck in ‘concept mode’. The M&I RH120R just proved them wrong. This is a fully certified, heavy-duty hydrogen truck that can match diesel’s range and power while wiping out its emissions.

As the hydrogen economy gains traction, the RH120R shows that zero-emission trucking doesn’t have to come with compromises. 

It’s strong, efficient, and already on the road – ready to go.