The ACV Automobil-Club Verkehr is further expanding its commitment to sustainable mobility and, starting in 2026, will be the first German automobile club to deploy a locally emission-free tow truck in everyday operation. By deploying a hydrogen-powered vehicle in the Cologne area, the club aims to demonstrate the potential of emission-free drive technologies for its traditional core service of accident and breakdown assistance. The ACV thus combines its commitment to being a reliable partner in emergency situations with the goal of assuming ecological responsibility and actively promoting the decarbonization of road transport.
“Several hundred thousand towing operations take place in Germany every year – and each of them generates emissions. This creates a clear responsibility for our industry. The ACV is the first automobile club in Germany to actively promote this issue and invest in a locally emission-free towing vehicle. With this pilot project, we want to gain experience, test new approaches, and demonstrate that the future of breakdown and accident assistance can be emission-free,” explains ACV Managing Director Holger Küster.
Pilot project with strong partners
The pilot project uses a PH2P truck from Paul Nutzfahrzeuge, based on a Mercedes Atego 4×2 chassis. The fuel cell truck has a permissible gross vehicle weight of 26 tons when towing a trailer, a range of approximately 450 kilometers, and is equipped with an 85-kilowatt fuel cell, a 200-kilowatt drive with 3,100 Newton meters of continuous torque, and a 133-kilowatt-hour battery. The hydrogen tank holds 30 kilograms and can be fully filled within ten to fifteen minutes.
For use as a tow truck, the vehicle is being converted at Wellmeyer Fahrzeugbau with a hydraulic sliding platform with a load capacity of four tons. Refueling is carried out via the H2 MOBILITY network, which ensures fast and reliable supply around the clock in the Cologne area. The hydrogen tow truck is being used by ACV’s partner KAD Kölner Abschleppdienst, which will use it for towing operations in the Rhineland and surrounding areas in the future.
Image of ACV Automobil-Club
Full press release( translated with Google) https://www.acv.de
