Volvo Trucks is testing electric trucks with fuel cells that emit only water vapor and have a range comparable to that of diesel trucks, up to 1000 km. A second pilot phase will follow in a few years, during which customers will be tested on public roads. Testing of fuel cell electric trucks in commercial traffic will begin in 2025 with selected customers in Northern Europe, followed by additional trucks in more countries in the coming years.
Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric trucks will be especially suitable for long distances and heavy, energy-consuming assignments. They could also be an option in countries where battery charging options are limited.
"I believe the tests will show the potential of fuel cell electric trucks. The tests will take place in a demanding, harsh climate and it will also give us a great opportunity to drive heavy loads up to 65 tonnes."
The purpose of the tests is to look at all the different aspects of the truck's operation, including working parts, driving behavior and driver experience. A fuel cell generates its own electricity from the hydrogen on board rather than being recharged from an outside source. The only by-product emitted is water vapor. Volvo's electric trucks will use two fuel cells with an output of 300 kW and a refueling time of less than 15 minutes.
Fuel cell technology is still in an early stage of development and while there are many benefits associated with it, some challenges remain, in particular the large-scale supply of green hydrogen (Green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy sources, such as wind, water and solar) and the need to develop a fuel infrastructure. To overcome the lack of available hydrogen during the trials, the refueling of green hydrogen from renewable sources will take place in the home depot.
"We expect the supply of green hydrogen to increase significantly in the coming years as many industries will depend on it to reduce CO2 emissions. The fuel cell trucks will be important for longer and heavier transports in a few years."
The fuel cells will be supplied by cellcentric – the joint venture of the Volvo Group and Daimler Truck AG. Cellcentric will build one of Europe's largest series production facilities specifically developed for heavy-duty vehicles Volvo Trucks.
