Volvo has begun on-road testing of heavy trucks powered by hydrogen combustion engines, with commercial launch planned before 2030.

The Swedish truck maker believes its hydrogen-powered trucks will have higher energy efficiency, lower fuel consumption and increased engine power compared with conventional hydrogen combustion engine technology.

This will be because of something called high-pressure direct injection (HPDI) , a technology where a small amount of ignition fuel is injected with high pressure to enable compression ignition before hydrogen is added.

“On-road testing is an important milestone for our hydrogen combustion engine trucks,” says Volvo Trucks product management head Jan Hjelmgren.

“I feel confident that they will be the best in the industry if you look at fuel efficiency, power, torque and drivability.

“Customers will be able to operate them just like diesel trucks. Our experience with HPDI technology in more than 10 000 gas-powered trucks is strong proof of its performance.”

Hydrogen can also be used to power fuel-cell electric trucks, where electricity is produced on board the truck.

Volvo Trucks also plans to launch fuel-cell electric trucks in low volumes before 2030.

The manufacturer believes, however, that hydrogen combustion engine trucks will be especially suitable for longer distance haulage, and for use in regions where there is limited charging infrastructure or time for the recharging of battery-electric trucks.

Trucks with combustion engines powered by green hydrogen have the potential to achieve net-zero well-to-wheel credentials when using renewable hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as ignition fuel.

Volvo says its hydrogen engine technology is derived from its diesel powertrain, delivering diesel-like performance while substantially cutting emissions.

The company’s hydrogen-powered combustion engine trucks will complement the company’s other power train offering, namely battery electric trucks, fuel-cell electric trucks and trucks that run on renewable fuels, such as biogas and HVO.

“We see great potential for hydrogen combustion engine trucks and they will have a role to play in the transformation to zero tailpipe emission transport,” says Hjelmgren.

“Several technologies will be needed to decarbonise. As a global truck manufacturer we offer a variety of decarbonisation solutions and we help our customers choose the best alternative based on transport assignment, available infrastructure and green energy prices.”

Volvo Trucks’ three-path strategy to reach net-zero emissions consists of battery-electric, fuel-cell electric and combustion engines using renewable fuels.