Volvo Trucks has announced that it has begun testing its hydrogen-powered trucks, which are specially designed for long-distance, heavy-haul and energy-intensive transport assignments. The manufacturer expects to achieve a range of 1,000 km for these trucks, which should be on the market by 2030.
Volvo is currently testing trucks running on fuel cells powered by hydrogen. The group has been working on this technology for several years now, with the idea of offering a product that eliminates all trace of CO2 emissions. According to Volvo, its fuel cell electric trucks will have an operational range comparable to a regular diesel truck, i.e., almost 1,000 km.
Benefits of a hydrogen-powered truck compared to a battery-powered electric model include range, of course, but also recharging/refueling time, estimated here at just 15 minutes. The idea is also to be able to use green hydrogen, produced from renewable energy sources. Finally, such a truck should be able to carry a load of some 65 tonnes. Plus, these trucks could represent an alternative in areas where the network of electric charging stations is insufficient.
The fuel cells for these trucks are manufactured by CellCentric, a joint venture between Volvo and Daimler. The German group is naturally working on the same type of vehicle, with a first prototype due to hit the road in 2023.
Volvo Trucks already offers battery-powered electric trucks, as well as vehicles that run on renewable fuels, such as biogas. Hydrogen-powered trucks should join them in the second half of the decade.
