2023-05-08 07:00:00
Freight traffic is to become cleaner – but opinions differ as to exactly how. Although shipping and railways also have a lot of catching up to do, interest is currently focused on trucks – and there modern diesel engines compete with electric trucks and hydrogen concepts. Significant progress has now been made here; now Volvo has tested the fuel cell truck on public roads.
And that is where battery-powered vehicles have a particularly difficult time: North of the Arctic Circle, where it can get very cold and batteries lose their functionality or even fail completely. Helena Alsiö, who is responsible for controlling the drives at Volvo Trucks, explains: “The trucks are in use seven days a week and in all weathers. The harsh conditions on the public roads in northern Sweden with ice, wind and lots of snow are an ideal test environment.”
The tests went well, reports Volvo, and they confirm the manufacturer’s intention to introduce the fuel cell models developed jointly with Daimler Truck “in the second half of this decade”. Compared to battery-electric trucks, which are already in the range, they are particularly suitable for longer distances: “Especially when the exclusive use of batteries is not an option, for example in rural areas without a charging infrastructure,” says the manufacturer.
And then there are also the classic diesel engines, which can also be operated with HVO and theoretically with climate-neutral e-fuels. For the time being, they form the backbone of the brand – with outputs of up to 750 hp. (aum/jm)
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