Volvo testing
VOLVO TRUCKS EXPECTS TO BEGIN CUSTOMER testing of fuel cell electric trucks on public roads from 2025.
The testing in commercial traffic with selected customers in Northern Europe is the second phase of the test programme for the fuel cell trucks that only emit water vapour and have an operational range comparable to diesel trucks, up to 1,000km.
When running the pilots, the filling of green hydrogen from renewable sources will be done at the home-depot.
Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric trucks will be especially suitable for long distance and heavy, energy-demanding assignments. They could also be an option in countries where battery charging possibilities are limited.
“I believe that the pilot tests will highlight the potential for fuel cell electric trucks. The tests will run in a demanding, harsh climate and it also give us a great opportunity for driving with heavy loads up 65 tonnes,” says Jessica Sandström, SVP Global Product Management at Volvo Trucks.
A fuel cell generates its own electricity from the hydrogen onboard instead of being charged from an external source. The only bi-product emitted is water vapour. Volvo’s electric trucks will use two fuel cells with a capacity to generate 300kw of power and will have a refuel time of less than 15 minutes.
Fuel cell technology is still in an early phase of development. While there are many benefits there remains some challenges, not least the largescale supply of green hydrogen and need to develop fuelling infrastructure. To overcome the lack of available hydrogen when running the pilots, the filling of green hydrogen from renewable sources will be done at the homedepot.
“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 be important for longer and heavier transportations in a few years from now,” Sandström says.
The fuel cells will be supplied by cellcentric – the joint venture between the Volvo Group and Daimler Truck AG. Cellcentric will build one of Europe’s largest series production facilities for fuel-cells, especially developed for heavy vehicles.
T&D