Volvo Trucks showed off its first-ever hydrogen fuel cell electric truck. The vehicle, which is suitable for long distances and heavy loads, has already hit the test track. The Swedish manufacturer hopes to bring the new truck to the market in the second half of this decade.
Volvo Trucks now provides battery-electric trucks as well as trucks powered by sustainable fuels like biogas. The company intends to add a third CO2-neutral alternative to its product lineup by the end of the decade: hydrogen-fueled fuel cell electric trucks.
Fuel cells work by mixing hydrogen and oxygen atoms, and the resulting chemical reaction produces electricity. It also emits water vapor and small amounts of heat. Although hydrogen fuel cell technology is still in its infancy, it already shows that it can provide some advantages over battery power in heavy-duty applications.
Compared to batteries, hydrogen is more energy-dense, allowing trucks to have a longer driving range and carry heavier loads. Volvo has been developing this tech for the past few years, and now it has finally started to test it on the track.
The company states that its hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks will have an operational range of up to 1000 km (621 miles), which is equivalent to many diesel trucks. The refueling time will be less than 15 minutes, and the vehicles will be able to haul a total weight of 65 tons.
Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks, says that the hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric trucks "could also be an option in countries where battery charging possibilities are limited."
The new technology has numerous advantages, but it also has certain drawbacks. One of them is large-scale green hydrogen supply. Another issue is that the hydrogen infrastructure hasn't evolved yet to the point where fuel cell systems can be used in a decentralized manner.
According to the Swedish manufacturer, the fuel cells for its new trucks will come from cellcentric, a joint venture between Volvo Group and Daimler. Cellcentric plans to create one of Europe's largest planned series production fuel-cell systems, with production set to begin in 2025.
"We expect the supply of green hydrogen to increase significantly during the next couple of years, since many industries will depend on it to reduce CO2 [..]. The fuel cell trucks will then be an important complement for longer and heavier transports in a few years from now", adds Roger Alm.
Volvo has already begun testing its first hydrogen fuel cell electric truck. In a few years, the new vehicle will be evaluated by customers in a pilot program. Once that takes place, the company will prepare for commercialization, which is planned to take place in the latter half of this decade.
Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature. Full profile
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