Volvo Trucks is developing trucks with combustion engines that run on hydrogen. Road tests with trucks using hydrogen in combustion engines will begin in 2026, and their commercial launch is planned for the end of this decade. Trucks running on green hydrogen are a significant step towards Volvo’s goal of achieving net zero emissions and an important support for customers to achieve their decarbonization goals.
Trucks that run on green hydrogen instead of fossil fuels are one way to decarbonize transportation. Hydrogen trucks will be especially useful on long-distance routes and in regions where charging infrastructure or time to recharge batteries is limited.
Volvo plans to begin customer trials of trucks that use hydrogen in combustion engines in 2026, and these will be commercially available towards the end of this decade. Tests are already being carried out both in laboratories and in vehicles. The hydrogen combustion engine trucks will complement Volvo’s range of options, which includes battery electric trucks, fuel cell electric trucks and trucks running on renewable fuels such as biogas and HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil). ).
“Trucks that retain the traditional internal combustion engine, but run on hydrogen, will offer the same performance and reliability as our diesel trucks, but with the added benefit of potentially having zero net CO2 emissions from well to wheel.” . They will be a valuable addition to our range of battery electric trucks, which have been on the market for several years,” highlights Jan Hjelmgren, Head of Product Management and Quality at Volvo Trucks.
Volvo trucks with hydrogen-powered combustion engines have the potential to emit zero CO2 emissions when using renewable HVO as ignition fuel and will be classified as “Zero Emission Vehicles” (ZEV) under new CO2 emission standards agreed in The EU.
«It is clear that several types of technology are needed to decarbonize heavy transport. As a global truck manufacturer, we have to support our customers by offering them a variety of decarbonization solutions. Customers can choose the alternative that best suits their needs based on the transport allocation, available infrastructure and green energy prices,” explains Jan Hjelmgren.
Volvo trucks with hydrogen-powered combustion engines will feature high-pressure direct injection (HPDI), a technology that involves injecting a small amount of ignition fuel at high pressure to enable compression ignition before adding hydrogen. The advantages of this technology include greater energy efficiency with lower fuel consumption and greater engine power.
The Volvo Group has signed an agreement with Westport Fuel Systems to create a joint venture using HPDI technology. This joint venture is expected to come into operation in the second quarter of 2024, once its creation is formalized.
2024-05-24 06:31:04
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