Hydrogen ICE trucks On-road demonstration will start in 2026, while the global launch of the hydrogen ICE will be in 2030. It supports the company’s objectives to electrify mass transport and offer zero-emitting technologies since the need for sustainable transport solutions keeps rising. The new hydrogen-blend vehicles will incorporate the High-Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) technology from Westport Fuel Systems, where a small quantity of ignition fuel will be used to allow for compression ignition, after which hydrogen will be injected as the primary fuel. Utilizing green hydrogen and renewable ignition fuel, Volvo claims that such vehicles will fall under the EU category of Zero Emission Vehicles regarding CO2 emissions, stating that such vehicles may pose as the game-changer for the heavy-duty segment struggling to transition to sustainable mobility.
Hydrogen use and the ICE Technology
I can confirm that Volvo’s hydrogen ICE trucks will employ high-pressure direct injection, a technology of Westport Fuel Systems. In this inventive scheme, the actual ignition fuel, including HVO, is injected at tremendous pressure and density to begin the auto-ignition process before hydrogen is used as the principal fuel. The advantage of this approach is that it enables Volvo to build on the established IC engine structure and simultaneously change the power source to hydrogen. Volvo, utilizing green hydrogen and HVO as the ignition fuel, would fall into the new EU CO2 classification for Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs), making these trucks a viable possibility for the decarbonization of the HD transportation sector.
Collaboration with Engine Manufacturers and Expertise
Volvo Group has agreed to be a supplier for Westport Fuel Systems, which focuses on co-developing and marketing Westport’s High-Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI technology). This mutual venture enhances the strength of the two firms in both areas of speciality and draws from their strengths. However, it is worth stating that there are over 6,000 HPDI trucks currently running on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Hence, they possess concrete experience and the necessary base for hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine vehicles. Data also obtained from Westport indicates that the use of hydrogen in an ICE offers power and torque enhancement of 15-20% as compared to diesel engines. This might have implications in improving the efficiency and capabilities of the future hydrogen ICE truck platform by Volvo, placing the automaker in a better position, market-wise, on the emerging decarbonized heavy transportation frontier.
Getting a more Diversified Approach to Decarbonization
Volvo also understands that various technologies are required in order to address the challenge of decarbonizing heavy transport primarily and, secondly, to fulfil the needs of its buyers. The hydrogen ICE platform will be added to Volvo’s current and future lineup, including the electric and possible hydrogen fuel cell trucks while giving a customer the appropriate solution, basically the type of transport, the infrastructure as well as energy costs available at the given period. In this way, Volvo is primarily focused on being a leader in sustainable transportation solutions and strategies, especially by providing a wide range of electric vehicles for different market segments and usage profiles.
The projects that Volvo had in mind for creating and testing hydrogen ICE vehicles show that the corporation is building its strategies in multiple directions that might help in the transition towards a carbon-free heavy transportation system. Thus, with the help of further ICE technologies’ development and using professional assistance in the field, such as Westport Fuel Systems, Volvo has the opportunity to offer its client complete solutions for transportation with zero emissions. Still, hydrogen ICE trucks are not the ‘new generation of FCEVs that changes everything’; however, they signal the origins of Volvo’s future sustainable transportation solutions and play their part in transforming the heavy-duty vehicle sector and reducing its CO2 emissions.