(Gothenburg, Sweden) – Swedish automaker Volvo has announced the development of trucks with combustion engines powered by green hydrogen. Initial road tests are planned for 2026, with market launch scheduled for the end of this decade. Laboratory and vehicle tests are already underway.
The first road tests with hydrogen technology in truck combustion engines are planned for 2026. © Volvo Trucks
The hydrogen combustion engines complement Volvo Trucks' offering of alternative powertrains, including battery-powered trucks, fuel cell trucks and trucks powered by renewable fuels such as biogas, biodiesel and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). According to the company, the new vehicles are particularly suitable for longer distances and regions where the charging infrastructure or the time to charge batteries is limited.
“Trucks that retain the traditional combustion engine but run on hydrogen have the same performance and reliability as our diesel trucks,” says Jan Hjelmgren, Head of Product Management and Quality, Volvo Trucks. Another advantage is the “potentially very low CO2 emissions”. As a global truck manufacturer, you have to offer customers a variety of decarbonization solutions.
Ignition using high-pressure direct injection
The engines used “high-pressure direct injection” technology from the Canadian Westport Fuel Systems Inc. The process, called “High Pressure Direct Injection” (HPDI), enables self-ignition by injecting a small amount of ignition fuel under high pressure before hydrogen is added. To this end, the Volvo Group and Westport have founded a joint venture, which is expected to begin operations in the second quarter of 2024.
Westport had already announced the signing of a corresponding investment agreement in March. This will “accelerate the commercialization and global adoption of HPDI fuel system technology,” said Westport CEO Dan Sceli. This offers solutions “to decarbonize the long-haul and off-road transport sector”.
Westport will contribute, among other things, “certain HPDI assets, including related fixed assets and intellectual property.” The Volvo Group will acquire 45 percent of the shares in the JV for approximately $28 million (26 million euros). In addition, there would be profit-oriented payments of up to 45 million dollars (41 million euros).
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A hydrogen-powered combustion engine will complement Volvo's range of low-emission heavy-duty trucks. © Volvo Trucks
