On Monday, Volvo Trucks announced it had begun testing vehicles using “hydrogen fuel cells”. The Swedish company said that its autonomy can reach 1000 kilometers.. Volvo is following in the footsteps of another giant like Hyundai.
A statement from Volvo Trucks explains that it will take less than 15 minutes to fully refuel the vehicles. Pilot trials for customers will begin in the next few years, with commercialization “scheduled for the second half of this decade.”
Fuel cells for the vehicles will be provided by Cellcentric, a joint venture with Daimler Truck established in March 2021.
“Fuel cell electric trucks powered by hydrogen are particularly suitable for long distance travel and heavy energy intensive tasks.said Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucksdue to a problem that electricians have over long distances.
In addition to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, Volvo has also developed battery-electric trucks. Although the electrification of heavy long-distance trucks comes with some challenges.
The International Energy Agency describes in its Global EV Outlook 2021 report that long haul trucks need “advanced technology for charging powerful and/or large batteries“.
In an interview with CNBC last year Martin Daumchairman of the board of Daimler Truck, asked about the debate between the electric battery and the hydrogen fuel cell.
“We chose both because they both… make sense.” he replied before explaining how different technologies would be appropriate in different scenarios.
“If you’re delivering to a nearby town where you need less power, you can charge overnight at a truck stop without a problem, then a battery pack makes sense.“, put as the first example the President of Daimler Truck.
“But the moment you’re on the road, the moment you’re driving from Stockholm to Barcelona… in my opinion, you need something that you can transport better and where you can fuel better, and that is, ultimately hydrogen.Daum concluded.
While there is enthusiasm in some circles for the potential of hydrogen vehicles, there are barriers to expanding the sector.point recognized by Volvo Trucks on Monday.
He noted that among the challenges there are “large-scale supply of green hydrogen“, as well as “the fact that filling infrastructure for heavy vehicles is not yet developed“.
Hydrogen has various applications and can be used in a wide variety of industries. It can be produced in various ways. One method is electrolysis, in which an electric current splits water into oxygen and hydrogen.
If the electricity used in this process comes from a renewable source such as wind or solar, some call it green hydrogen. Currently, the vast majority of hydrogen production is based on fossil fuels, so it is not yet a clean source of energy.
Source: Computer Hoy
