Volvo Trucks to Develop Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Heavy Trucks

TapTechNews May 31, according to Volvo's official news, Volvo Trucks is developing hydrogen internal combustion engine heavy trucks, and its road test will start in 2026 and is planned to be commercialized by the end of 2030.

It is introduced that heavy trucks use green hydrogen to replace fossil fuels, which has opened up a completely new path for reducing carbon emissions in the transportation field. Hydrogen heavy trucks will be particularly suitable for long-haul transportation, areas with limited charging infrastructure and battery charging time. Currently, relevant tests are carried out in the laboratory and on vehicles.

The official also revealed that while Volvo Trucks adopts hydrogen internal combustion engines, it will introduce High-Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) technology, that is, before adding hydrogen, a small amount of ignition fuel is injected at high pressure to achieve compression ignition, thereby optimizing the combustion process. The technical advantage realizes higher energy efficiency and lower fuel consumption, and increases the engine power.

TapTechNews noted that Volvo Group has signed an agreement with Westport Fuel Systems, and the two sides will set up a joint venture based on the High-Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) technology. It is expected that the joint venture will start its operation after the official closing in the second quarter of 2024.