Volvo introduces hydrogen-powered trucks for zero emission future

Fuel cell electric hydrogen truck

Trucks powered by green hydrogen, rather than fossil fuels, offer a viable solution for decarbonising transportation.

Hydrogen-fueled trucks are particularly well-suited for long distances, in areas with inadequate charging infrastructure or for vehicles with limited time for battery recharging, such as trucks and ambulances.

Volvo will begin customer tests with trucks using hydrogen in combustion engines in 2026, and the trucks will be commercially available towards the end of this decade. Already, testing in labs and in vehicles is ongoing. The hydrogen-powered combustion engine trucks will complement Volvo’s offering of other alternatives, such as battery electric trucks, fuel cell electric trucks and trucks that run on renewable fuels, like biogas and HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil).

“Trucks where the traditional internal combustion engine remains but runs on hydrogen will have the same performance and reliability as our diesel trucks, but with the added benefit of potentially net zero CO2 emissions well-to-wheel. They will be a valuable complement to our battery electric trucks, which have been on the market for several years,” says Jan Hjelmgren, Head of Product Management and Quality, Volvo Trucks.

Volvo trucks with combustion engines powered by green hydrogen have the potential to deliver net zero CO2 well-to-wheel when using renewable HVO as ignition fuel and are categorized as “Zero Emission Vehicles” (ZEV) under the agreed new EU CO2 emission standards.

Read more: Volvo to launch hydrogen-powered trucks