Volvo trucks have started testing some of their own vehicles with new and innovative technology – made possible by hydrogen-powered fuel cells. These trucks emit water vapour and produce their very own onboard electricity, while the range of these vehicles is said to hit an impressive 1000km!

These trucks are perfectly suited for long-distance travel that requires energy-demanding assignments. To reduce carbon emissions as much as possible, Volvo Trucks currently offer battery electric trucks as well as trucks that run solely on renewable fuels.

Volvo has stated that they have been in the process of developing this technology for a few years already, and they are relieved to see the first trucks performing extremely well on their test track. The combination of battery electric and fuel cell electric will assist their customers in completely removing CO2 exhaust emissions from their trucks.

These fuel cell electric trucks will be able to operate in a range that is very similar to diesel trucks, reaching up to 1000km, and will have a total refuelling time of under 15 minutes. The weight of these vehicles is 65 tons or more, with the two fuel cells able to generate 300kw of electricity while onboard.

A fuel cell generates its own electricity from the hydrogen onboard instead of being charged from an external source, therefore resulting in water vapour being the only by-product that is emitted. The fuel cells will be supplied by Cellcentric – a joint venture between the Volvo Group and Daimler Truck AG. Cellcentric will be building one of Europe’s largest series production facilities for fuel cells, which is specifically developed for heavy vehicles.

Fuel cell technology is still a work in progress, so there are still many challenges that will need to be identified and overcome, such as refuelling infrastructure – which is something that still has to be properly developed.

Green hydrogen is expected to significantly increase over the next few years, as many industries will start moving to this solution to reduce CO2 emissions. Although this is a great solution to the problem, it is needed more than ever as we cannot wait any longer to make a change. Green hydrogen is made using various renewable energy sources, such as wind, sun, and water.