Volvo completes its fuel cell truck testing above the Arctic Circle in winter 2023
Precisely 3 years ago, I wrote my debut article for Forbes about the exciting collaboration between Volvo and Daimler to manufacture hydrogen trucks. This news came shortly after my return from the Fulbright exchange program, where I had the privilege of working at Chalmers University in Gothenburg, Sweden. The city is also the home of Volvo's headquarters, manufacturing, and testing facilities. While there, I had the opportunity to consult Volvo engineers on various hydrogen-related topics. Therefore, when the joint venture announcement, now known as cellcentric, was made, I felt a sense of satisfaction for my small contribution to the process.
Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting with top executives from Volvo to discuss the progress made over the past three years since the joint venture's announcement. Johan Lunden, Senior Vice President of Volvo Group Truck Technology, and Keith Brandis, Vice President of Partnerships and Strategic Solutions for Volvo Trucks North America, joined me in this conversation.
It is worth noting that Daimler trucks has been Volvo's fiercest competitor. However, in May 2021, the two companies formalized their partnership through the creation of cellcentric, a joint venture with a 50-50 ownership structure. While Daimler had been producing its own fuel cells for passenger cars and was the first fuel cell vehicle, I ever encountered back in 2006, it later (circa 2018) shifted away from the passenger market while retaining its fuel cell manufacturing capability. Similarly, Volvo had early involvement with fuel cells in the power auxiliary units for its trucks. The group of engineers working on fuel cells eventually separated from Volvo and formed PowerCell, which partnered with Bosch for support and product development around 2019. Bosch's fuel cells are now utilized in Nikola trucks. As such, the spirit of Volvo innovation endures. cellcentric plays a crucial role for both companies in helping their goals to decarbonize their transportation systems, albeit with different paths to that common point.
In June 2022, cellcentric Fuel Cell Canada Inc., originally rooted in Germany and Sweden, relocated to a state-of-the-art facility near Vancouver, Canada. This new location offers proximity to renowned fuel cell giants like Ballard, Loop Energy, and Greenlight, providing a rich local pool of expertise and workforce. The focus of cellcentric is to achieve fuel cell excellence in the heavy-duty transportation sector, and they have developed a fuel cell stack capable of delivering up to 150 kW of net power.
Volvo unveiled its first cab-over truck powered by a dual fuel cell stack power plant, generating a combined output of 300 kW, in June 2022. From cellcentric, Volvo acquires the fuel cell stack, designing it with its own balance of plant equipment to ensure optimal performance. Additionally, Volvo develops its own software and optimization strategies tailored to the specific needs of end-users in different markets. The company has accumulated years of expertise in vehicle electrification through projects such as Volvo LIGHTS completed in North America. The development of the fuel cell truck was accelerated through the implementation of Volvo’s CAST (common architecture shared technology) model, whereby the existing electric truck architecture was augmented to incorporate fuel cell system and hydrogen storage components. Unlike battery-electric trucks, fuel cell trucks offer advantages such as quick refueling, long range, and higher load capacity. Moreover, Volvo successfully tested the fuel cell truck above the Arctic Circle during this winter, where fuel cells' water production poses challenges due to freezing temperatures. Crystals of ice can damage the sensitive components in the fuel cell stack. Demonstrating successful control strategies for drying fuel cells during shutdown and restarting them in the cold, is a necessary step in the vehicle development.
Volvo started testing its hydrogen articulated hauler in 2022
Volvo is also exploring other segments of its portfolio. In 2022, Volvo Construction Equipment introduced the world's first hydrogen fuel cell-powered articulated hauler, the prototype HX04, which was showcased to the public in early 2023. More products in the off-road space are in the pipeline.
With plans to enter the North American market in the coming years, Volvo is considering a more traditional long-nose cab design, unlike Hyundai and Nikola. European tractor-trailer length limits do not apply in this market, and Volvo aims to cater to its customers' demands. Additionally, Volvo is a global leader in autonomous vehicle development, particularly focusing on hub-to-hub self-piloted vehicles. In light of this, the cab-over design may prove to be a sensible choice, as driver involvement will be reduced while significant advancements have been made in improving aerodynamics and efficiency.
When acquiring a fuel cell truck, hydrogen fueling infrastructure should come along.
Johan Lunden emphasized Volvo's commitment to achieving a net-zero society and supporting the goals of the Paris Agreement, aiming to ensure that Volvo factories produce no carbon-emitting products beyond 2040.
Although Volvo has yet to enter the hydrogen infrastructure race or announce specific partnerships in this area, the company actively reflects on the hydrogen economy. It is currently exploring potential collaborations with Vestas for wind farms to gain access to green energy and procures vehicle framing steel from Swedish manufacturers deploying hydrogen-based processes, eliminating CO2 emissions. While Volvo may not be moving as quickly as its global competitors, it is making steady progress and leading in the design—the truck is gorgeous.
