VOLVO

Swedish company is already testing its trucks using a hydrogen fuel cell plant as fuel

Like many truck manufacturers, the Swedish company Volvo Trucks has been developing an alternative to battery-powered long-haul ''tractors'' for several years, but only now have prototype trucks with a hydrogen fuel cell power plant begun to be tested at a test site. A machine with a full load of up to 65 tons is capable of traveling 1000 km at a gas station, releasing only water vapor during operation.

It has long been known that hydrogen fuel is better suited to the specifics of operating mainline tractors, as it provides longer trips between refuelings, allows you to refuel range faster, and does not force you to carry impressive ballast in the form of batteries. heavy traction. In the case of Volvo's prototypes, a press release notes that a range of 1,000 km can be refueled in just 15 minutes. Second, in many countries, the energy infrastructure is simply not ready for the staggering loads that battery-truck express charging stations will place on it.

It is true that the Swedish manufacturer is silent at the same time that the extraction, storage and transport of hydrogen fuel at this stage are very expensive, and the share of the so-called “green hydrogen”, which is extracted using only renewable energy sources, is negligible. Therefore, Volvo Trucks prefers to talk about the commercial operation of these vehicles in relation to the second half of this decade. However, until then, several of the company's customers will be able to participate in hydrogen truck trials on their own.

In March of last year, Volvo Trucks and Daimler Truck formed a joint venture called Cellcentric, which will develop hydrogen fuel cells used in the propulsion systems of both vehicle brands. Representatives of the German automaker have already noted that it is now important to develop commercial-grade battery electric vehicles and cars with a hydrogen power plant. Volvo Trucks itself adheres to similar tactics, as does the young company Nikola Corp. Korean Hyundai Motor makes a serious bet on hydrogen. On the other hand, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is skeptical of the prospect of using hydrogen as a power source, specifically relying on semi-battery trucks. He even calls hydrogen fuel cells "stupid cells".

Image source: Volvo Trucks