Volvo Trucks announced the testing of fuel cell electric trucks in commercial traffic will start in 2025 with selected customers in Northern Europe, followed by additional trucks in more countries over the coming years.

“I believe that the pilot tests will highlight the potential for fuel cell electric trucks. The tests will run in a demanding, harsh climate and it also gives us a great opportunity for driving with heavy loads up to 65 tons," said Jessica Sandström, SVP of global product management at Volvo Trucks.

The goal of the pilot tests will be to look at all different aspects of the truck’s operation including working components, handling, and driver experience, according to the company's news release.

A fuel cell generates its own electricity from the hydrogen onboard instead of being charged from an external source, according to Volvo. The only byproduct emitted is water vapor. Volvo said its electric trucks will use two fuel cells with a capacity to generate 300 kW of power and will have a refuel time of fewer than 15 minutes.

To overcome the lack of available hydrogen when running the pilots, Volvo said the filling of green hydrogen from renewable sources will be done at the home depot.

“We expect the supply of green hydrogen to increase significantly during the next couple of years since many industries will depend on it to reduce CO2. The fuel cell trucks will be important for longer and heavier transportations in a few years from now," said Sandström. 

The fuel cells will be supplied by Cellcentric – the joint venture between the Volvo Group and Daimler Truck AG, according to Volvo. Cellcentric will build production facilities for fuel cells, specially developed for heavy vehicles.