June : Volvo Trucks showcases new zero-emissions truck
previous pageVolvo Trucks showcases new zero-emissions truck
Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric trucks will be especially suitable
for long distances and heavy, energy-demanding assignments.
To decarbonize transport, Volvo Trucks already today offers battery
electric trucks and trucks that run on renewable fuels, such as biogas.
In the second half of this decade, a third CO2-neutral option will be added to its product portfolio - fuel cell electric trucks powered by hydrogen.
"We have been developing this technology for some years now, and it
feels great to see the first trucks successfully running on the test
track. The combination of battery electric and fuel cell electric will
enable our customers to completely eliminate CO2 exhaust emissions from their trucks, no matter transport assignments," says Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks.
The fuel cell electric trucks will have an operational range comparable
to many diesel trucks - up to 1 000 km - and a refueling time of less
than 15 minutes. The total weight can be around 65 tons or even higher,
and the two fuel cells have the capacity to generate 300 kW of
electricity onboard.
Customer pilots will start in a few years from now and commercialization is planned for the latter part of this decade.
"Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric trucks will be especially suitable
for long distances and heavy, energy-demanding assignments. They could
also be an option in countries where battery charging possibilities are
limited," says Roger Alm.
Generates its own electricity
A fuel cell generates its own electricity from the hydrogen
onboard instead of being charged from an external source. The only
biproduct emitted is water vapor.
Fuel cells delivered by cellcentric
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, specially developed for heavy vehicles.
More green hydrogen needed
Fuel cell technology is still in an early phase of development and there
are many benefits with the new technology, but also some challenges
ahead. One of them is large-scale supply of green hydrogen*. Another is
the fact that refueling infrastructure for heavy vehicles is yet to be
developed.
"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. However, we cannot wait to decarbonize transport,
we are already running late. So, my clear message to all transport
companies is to start the journey today with battery electric, biogas
and the other options available. The fuel cell trucks will then be an
important complement for longer and heavier transports in a few years
from now", says Roger Alm.
* Green hydrogen is produced by using renewable energy sources, such as wind, water and sun.
Source: Volvo Trucks
Website: www.volvotrucks.com