Volvo’s commercial truck group is testing out hydrogen fuel cell semis

Image: Volvo

Hydrogen fuel cell semi trucks are being tested by Volvo in the hopes of getting ahead of the technology. Volvo claims that its trucks can be refueled in under 15 minutes and can reach 1,000 kilometers of range.

Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucks, said in a statement that the company has been developing this technology for some years. It will be possible to use hydrogen fuel cells in countries with limited battery charging infrastructure. The company started building battery-electric trucks, but they aren't very popular in the US. The supply of clean hydrogen is expected to grow in the next couple of years.

Image: Volvo

Both hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and battery electric vehicles are powered by an electric motor but the latter store electricity from the power grid. Both technologies are emission-free at the tailpipe. Depending on the method of transporting hydrogen gas to stations, there can be significant emissions released, while BEVs are as clean as the power grid it relies on.

There are not many hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that can be refueled. Most of the stations in the US are located in California. According to the California Fuel Cell Partnership website, the number of hydrogen fuel stations will increase to over 100 by the year 2023.

Commercial trucking is the most viable use case. GM is using the tech to build mobile power stations and Toyota is using the tech to build commercial and passenger vehicles.