Volvo has developed a fuel cell electric truck that could be the most convenient alternative to diesel-powered trucks in terms of the range offered, load carried, and the time it takes to refuel.
The Swedish company already embraced battery electric trucks and the ability to use biogas as an alternative fuel to diesel. However, after 2025, Volvo is set to introduce a fuel cell electric truck that runs on hydrogen. The advantages such a truck offers include a range of up to 620 miles (1,000km), a refuel time of less than 15 minutes, and the ability to carry very heavy loads to a maximum weight of 65 tons.
The use of hydrogen as a fuel means the only waste emitted is water vapor, so no more polluting exhaust fumes. The truck produces up to 300kW of electricity on board, which allows the fuel cell to be charged without need of an external power source.
The big drawback of battery electric solutions for trucks is the amount of time it takes to recharge the batteries combined with a limited load capacity. Volvo's electric heavy-duty trucks have a 186-mile range, for example. For fuel cell electric trucks, the current drawback is sourcing enough green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable energy sources such as wind, water, and solar.
Volvo believes that is set to change soon, though. "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," explains Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks.
By committing to having hydrogen-powered trucks on the roads in the second half of the decade, Volvo is allowing time for more green hydrogen production to come online while it continues to refine the technology. However, it already has these new trucks running on the test track, so it's only a matter of time before they start to replace diesel trucks.