Volvo Trucks comes to announce that tests are currently in progress with trucks equipped with fuel cells powered by hydrogen. The group plans to market these trucks before the end of the decade.
1,000 kilometers of range for hydrogen trucks?
In recent years, initiatives have multiplied to develop low- or zero-emission vehicles in the road transport sector. Volvo Trucks, a subsidiary of the Volvo Group, is one of the companies investing the most in the field. The Swedish manufacturer relies in particular on trucks equipped with fuel cells powered by hydrogen. On June 20, 2022, the company said testing was underway. According to statements from Volvo Trucks, these trucks have a range of 1,000 kilometers.
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Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucks, said in the press release issued on June 20 that “We have been developing this technology for a few years now, and it is very satisfying to see the first trucks running successfully on the test track. The combination of battery electricity and fuel cell electricity will enable our customers to completely eliminate CO2 emissions from their trucks, regardless of transport assignment”. Last year, the Swedish manufacturer also started tests with its electric trucksin partnership with DHL Freight.
Electric or hydrogen battery? Volvo Trucks bets on both
In its press release, Volvo Trucks claims that refueling vehicles equipped with hydrogen-powered fuel cells takes less than 15 minutes. According to the manufacturer, “Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric trucks will be ideal for long-haul and heavy-duty, power-demanding missions”. The electrification of heavy goods vehicles poses a large number of challenges. According to the report entitled Global EV Outlook for 2021 of the International Energy Agency, these trucks will need “advanced technologies for high power charging and large batteries”.
Manufacturers are betting as much on battery electric vehicles as on hydrogen vehicles. These two technologies will certainly be complementary. In fact, vehicles equipped with an electric battery will probably be more useful for deliveries in town, with journeys that require less energy consumption. The truck can be recharged at night in a depot. When it comes to a Stockholm-Barcelona trip, hydrogen could be the solution. The challenge of this technology lies in particular in the large-scale supply of green hydrogen.