Volvo Testing Hydrogen-powered Fuel Cell For Electric Trucks

Volvo Trucks’ focus on zero-emission technologies will make it a competitor to companies such as Tesla and partner Daimler Truck that developing an electric truck

FREMONT CA: Volvo Trucks recently announced that it has started testing fuel cells powered by hydrogen trucks. According to the Swedish company, these vehicles' range might reach up to 1,000 kilometres, or about 621 miles.

The vehicles could be refuelled in less than 15 minutes, according to a statement from Volvo Trucks, which has its headquarters in Gothenburg. Beginning in the coming years will be customer trial programmes, with commercialization scheduled for the latter part of this decade.

As per Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucks, hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric trucks will be particularly well-suited for long distances and challenging, energy-intensive jobs. Volvo Trucks, a division of the Volvo Group, has created battery-electric trucks in addition to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The electrification of long-distance, heavy-duty truck electrification presents a distinct myriad of challenges. Long-haul trucking requires advanced technology for high-power charging and/or huge batteries. Recently, there has been more competition within the industry. Due to its emphasis on zero-emission technologies, Volvo Trucks will face competition from businesses like Tesla and JV partner Daimler Truck, both of which are working on electric trucks.

A battery-powered delivery vehicle can be charged overnight in a depot and is used for city deliveries when less energy is required, coined Daum. While some are excited about the potential of hydrogen-powered vehicles, there are challenges to expanding the sector, as  acknowledged by Volvo Trucks.  It cited challenges such as the large-scale supply of green hydrogen and the fact that heavy vehicle refuelling infrastructure has yet to be developed. The IEA refers to hydrogen as a versatile energy carrier because it has a wide range of applications and can be used in a variety of industries.

There are numerous ways to generate it. Electrolysis is a technique that involves utilizing an electric current to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. Some refer to hydrogen as green or renewable if the electricity utilized in this process comes from a renewable source, such as wind or solar. The vast bulk of hydrogen production today is powered by fossil fuels. A fuel cell articulated carrier prototype is now being tested, according to Volvo Construction Equipment, a subsidiary of the Volvo Group.

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